


You Are Here

by MessyInsomniacBookGirl



Category: Actor RPF, American (US) Actor RPF, Chris Evans - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Character Study, Drama, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family, Humor, Mentions of Suicide, Romance, Teacher OFC, mention of child loss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-17 10:10:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13656831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MessyInsomniacBookGirl/pseuds/MessyInsomniacBookGirl
Summary: When Ellie meets Chris at his mom's house unexpectedly, she thinks he's a vagabond burglar, and takes a swing at him, with a baseball bat. Oops.





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 

29 September, 2017, Sudbury, Massachusetts

 

I anxiously looked up at the two storey, white painted house, and wet my lips nervously. The house was the standard for this neighbourhood. A big, detached property. Classic New England build. Surrounded by woods, and neighbours at least 50 yards away on either side. The surroundings were beautiful in their early autumn colours. 

‘Are you sure this is okay?’ I asked the blond woman, who sat behind the wheel of the car we were in. ‘I mean, I could go and look at that studio in Waltham. It wouldn’t be a problem. It’s only a forty-five minute commute to the school.’

The woman scoffed and shook her head.

‘Come on, Ellie, we both know that you’ll be stuck in rush hour, every morning and evening, and then it’ll be a longer commute than _just_ forty-five minutes, and you’ll hate moving there within a week. And that is if you even get that studio. I can assure you that you’re not the only candidate for that property. There’ll be at least ten other people there.’ She turned to me and squeezed my shoulder in support, her face lighting up with a warm smile. 

‘Now, the studio above my mom’s garage is yours, if my mom takes to you, and if you want it. My sister moved out just before the summer, to move in with her fiancé, and my mom wants to rent it out, so that she has some additional income to her pension, and so she isn’t alone on the property at night. 

'We agree wholeheartedly with her. She’s getting a bit older now, and we’ve all moved out. Some of us stayed a bit closer than others, I’ll admit, but we like the idea of someone else being on the property, especially at night, and we don’t want our mom to rent the studio out to someone we don’t know. And both Shanna and I think that you’re the perfect candidate. Scott said that he trusts our judgment, and Christopher gave his green light when I told him that you were an older, recently widowed woman, and that you were losing your apartment because your landlord had decided to sell part of his property portfolio. So, what do you say?’ She looked very hopeful, and then proceeded to grin mischievously at me, when I looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

‘You told your brother I was _recently_ widowed? Recently? Carly, you’re off by two years. It’s not that recent. And _older_? Define older.’ I couldn’t believe she’d done that and I frowned at her in exasperation. 

Carly’s grin got wider and her crystal blue eyes sparkled with humour.

‘A little white lie, to convince my very protective, and very private, younger brother, to accept what Shanna and I have already decided on. He’s almost never home, anyway. Always flying around the world for his job. If I told him the truth, he’d never have agreed without meeting you first, and then you wouldn’t have been able to move in until, at least, Thanksgiving, or even Christmas. I’m not sure when he’s due home this time. And thirty-seven isn’t really very young anymore, you know. It’s not like you’re twenty, or twenty-five, or anything.’

‘Carly, I’m over a year younger than you are…’ I deadpanned.

She snickered and had the audacity to wink at me.

‘And you’re over a year older than he is. So, that makes you an older widow.’ Carly giggled at my pinched expression. ‘Ignorance is bliss, hon. Especially where my brother is concerned. Believe me, I have experience with his neurotic, protective urges.’

Looking down at my hand that were folded nervously in my lap, I shook my head in disbelief. 

‘I’m not sure if I can do this. It wouldn’t be right, lying like that.’ Disappointment coloured my voice as I prepared myself mentally to go and check out the property in Waltham. Shanna was right about the commute, it would be hell. And the studio had looked dreadfully small, even in the pictures on the realtor’s website. And she’d been right about the competition too. Every property I had viewed in the past week, had been snatched up by other renters, before I could even convey my interest to the realtor’s office. 

After being in the States for six months, teaching at the foreign languages department of Sudbury’s Regional High School, and living in a furnished, one bedroom apartment, in Sudbury itself, I found myself suddenly needing a new dwelling, after my landlord had decided to sell the property to a developer, who wanted to tear the old building down and build a modern apartment building on the site. They’d offered me a place in the new building, but the rent would be three times higher than what I paid now. It had something to do with all the luxury amenities that were planned. Long story short, I couldn’t afford to move back in, after the build was completed.

What was even more pressing than finding a roof over my head, because I’d be homeless without, was the fact that, for my green card to be prolonged, I needed not only a place of employment, but also a place of residence that was not a motel room. My six month renewal was coming up soon, and I was becoming a bit desperate. I’d been hired until at least the end of the school year, which ended at the end of June, and having to leave now, would be disastrous, not just for my career and professional reputation, but also for my students, who would be sitting their exams in May next year.

Which brought me back here, to the driveway in front of this beautiful house, where I was in the car with Carly, my colleague, who had also become a good friend in the past six months. 

I was rather shy and introverted, but Carly was a force of nature to be reckoned with, when she decided that she liked someone, and wanted to be friends. Thanks to her, I had a bustling social life within a few weeks from arriving in the States. 

Something that, I was sure, wouldn’t have been the case if I’d been left to my own devises. 

Carly’s younger sister, Shanna, who was an assistant art teacher at our school, had taken to me the instant Carly had introduced me to her. She and I now worked at the Concord Youth Theatre together. She as the head costume designer, which was a second job she worked, and me as a volunteer, mostly painting backgrounds and making props, in my free time. I’d started volunteering at the theatre about three and a half weeks ago, after Shanna had complained about how parents never took the time to help out with performances anymore. 

Lisa, Carly and Shanna’s mother, had been director at the theatre, until her retirement earlier this year, which happened before I even was in the States. I’d seen her only once, from afar, when she was visiting the theatre. 

She appeared to be a nice lady, but to see her from afar, in a volunteering situation, was vastly different from being hauled to her house by her very enthusiastic daughter, to be approved for living in the studio apartment above her garage, which could be accessed by stairs that were only accessible from her kitchen. Which in turn meant, I’d have the keys to her house. Which was probably why Carly and Shanna, and their brothers, were so adamant that they wanted someone they knew and trusted, moving into the apartment. They didn’t want a stranger to be able to wander around their mom’s house unsupervised.

Carly sighed and shrugged. Her enthusiasm deflated a bit when she saw my hesitation.

‘Look, I know you don’t know my brother, and it all sounds a bit ominous, but he’s a good man. One of the best, actually, but he has this thing about privacy. Not just his own, but also ours. If he knew you are as young as you are, well, he’d throw a hissy fit, suspecting you of malicious intent… Now, _I_ know that you’re a good egg.’ She quickly added, when she saw the incredulous expression that was undoubtedly on my face. 

The man sounded like an asshole to me, if he really behaved like that towards another human being. Why would anyone behave like that? How could anybody be that paranoid?

‘And _Shanna_ knows you’re a good egg.’ she continued. ‘But he doesn’t. So we decided on the omission of your circumstances, just to keep him calm and happy. God knows, he has enough stress to deal with, without this all on his plate. So, you see, this small deception is not just to help you find a new home and help my mother get a trustworthy tenant, but also to help my brother to stop worrying about our mom so much.' She looked at me with a hopeful expression on her face.

It still didn’t feel right to me, deceiving someone like this, but I was desperate to find an apartment. I needed one soon. Very soon. Or I wouldn’t be able to stay in the US. And I loved it here. The county where I worked and lived, was beautiful New England countryside, with lots of opportunities to hike and bike into the ‘wild’, but I was also only a forty minute drive away from Boston’s bustling inner city life. And what was more, I loved my job. I didn’t want to lose all this, just because I didn’t have a place of residence.

With a loud sigh, I let my shoulders sag. I knew I didn’t really have a choice. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Beggars can’t be choosers… And all that crap.

‘Oh, alright then, you manipulative woman. Let’s go see your mom.’ 

Carly let out a sound that would be more appropriate coming from a teenage girl, instead of a grown woman of thirty-nine, and clapped her hands in glee.

‘Fantastic! Let’s go and see my mom.’ She almost vibrated in her seat, from giddiness, and I laughed at her rekindled enthusiasm.

‘I’d almost think you found out Christmas came early this year, or something.’ I snickered.

As she climbed out of the car, she bent down to peer at me.

‘Hon, if you knew how much effort I put into convincing my brother to let you rent the studio, you wouldn’t be so surprised by my happiness. I was afraid all my scheming wouldn’t pay off when you got cold feet just now. Almost took a year off my life, there, Ellie.’ She winked, and shut the car door.

Shaking my head at my friend’s antics, I followed her out of the car, and together we made our way toward the house, where her mom had just opened the front door, waiting for us with a bright smile on her face. 

I smiled back at her, and when we stood before her, I offered her my hand.

‘Hello, mrs Evans. I’m Eleanor Severins. It’s nice to meet you.’


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quite dramatic Christmas Eve morning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Sandbox has snow in it...

**Chapter 1**

 

Sunday, 24 December, 2017, 07:28AM, Sudbury, Massachusetts

 

It was the early morning of Christmas Eve, and I was hiking back to my apartment, through, at least, five inches of freshly fallen snow. The whole world was immaculate, and, barring my footsteps, the snow was completely undisturbed. When I’d woken up, because I needed to use the bathroom, I’d glanced out the window, doing a double take when I saw the world was covered in a blanket of icy white.

With a soft squee, I’d made my way to the bathroom, and, after I’d done my business, instead of diving back into the warmth of my bed, I’d donned thermal leggings under my rainbow leggings, put on a thermal shirt under my soft, and warm, powder pink sweater dress and then pulled on thick hiking socks, before grabbing my camera gear and my dark red, goose-down winter coat with the faux fur hood, stepping into my new silver snow boots at the bottom of the stairs that led to my apartment. Carefully opening the door to the kitchen, I’d tiptoed to the outside door, so I wouldn’t wake Lisa, and made my way into the winter wonderland; the dark of night only just lifting to give way to the light of dawn. 

I’d hiked for about forty minutes, snapping pictures of the frozen world around me, and of the beauty of a multicoloured sunrise above the trees, before it got too cold for me to continue. I retraced my tracks back to the house that my apartment was a part of, looking forward to a warm cup of coffee and some breakfast when I got back.

Fishing my key out of my pocket, I let the backpack, that contained my photo gear, slide down from my shoulders, gripping the handle at the top of the bag as I unlocked the door. It took me a few tries to get the key into the lock, because my fingers were a bit stiff from the cold. It might be a good idea to invest in a pair of thicker gloves, I mused.

I stamped my boots a few times outside the door to rid them of any excess snow, and then stepped onto the waterproof welcome mat that lay just inside the kitchen door. I was enveloped in lovely the warmth of the house, and closed the door quickly behind me, to keep the warmth inside, locking it again in the same movement.

It was then, that I smelled the freshly brewed coffee, and I pushed back the hood that took away much of my sight. Lisa must have gotten up early this morning.

‘Good morning, Li… WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!?’ My voice was shrill with fright. I dropped my bag and took a step back, my spine bumping painfully into the knob of the kitchen door. 

There, in the middle of my friend’s kitchen, stood a big man, barefoot, and dressed like a tramp, with loose, grey sweatpants hanging low on his narrow hips and an old, washed out, dark blue t-shirt, with a few holes close to the hem, straining around his wide chest and broad shoulders. His dark hair was unkempt, sticking up and out at odd angles, and he had a full, and messy, dark brown beard.

He seemed completely frozen, and his eyes were wide, as he held onto a mug of coffee. A blue mug, with yellow flowers. One of Lisa’s mugs. 

_Lisa! Where is Lisa?!_

In my panic to locate my friend, I grabbed hold of the first thing my hand bumped into, which was the baseball bat of one of Carly’s children. They must have forgotten it when they were here a few days ago.

I lifted the bat and took a step toward the man. God, he was big. I swallowed thickly, and found my voice.

‘Who are you? And where’s Lisa? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH LISA?!?’ 

The man quickly put down his mug -Lisa’s mug- on the counter behind him, and held up his hands in front of his torso, palms out.

‘Look, lady, I don’t know who you are, but I’m quite sure that you’re not supposed to be here. If you don’t leave right now, I can assure you that I will be calling the police as soon as I locate my phone. So, why don’t you just calm down, hand me the bat and leave the same way as you came in.’ His voice was deep and his tone was a mix of exasperation and threat. He held out his right hand to me, with the palm facing upwards.

I swung the bat at him, barely missing his hand, which he reflexively pulled back. He looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

‘The _fuck_ you doin'? Give me that bat before someone gets hurt!’ He sounded angry now. Which only fuelled my aggression.

I held up the bat again, ready to strike, if the situation called for it.

‘Yes, and that someone will be you, if you don’t leave us alone!’ I growled, threatening to swing the bat again. The man took a cautious step backwards.

‘What on earth is going on here?’ Lisa appeared in the door opening to the lounge, dressed in a dressing gown and fluffy bunny slippers. She took in the situation with a surprised expression on her face.

I took a few steps towards her, feeling relief flood my system when I saw she was unhurt.

‘Oh, thank god, you’re alright… Lisa, call the cops. There’s a burglar.’ I positioned myself in between her and the man, swinging at him again, when he made a move toward Lisa. ‘STAY BACK!’ I yelled, trying to make myself appear bigger than I was. Which was probably pointless, as I was no taller than five foot one on a good day, and weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet.

Suddenly Lisa burst out into laughter behind me. And it wasn’t a giggle or a snicker, no, it was a full blown belly laugh. I let the bat sag down a bit in surprise, and turned halfway toward her. What was she on about? The lapse in my focus cost me my bat, though, as the man plucked it from my hands, with a quick movement.

‘Hey!’ I exclaimed in shock, making a grab for the handgrip.

The man held the bat above his head, and out of my reach, with a triumphant expression on his face, before putting the thing on the kitchen counter and frowning at me. I shrunk back a bit, it was an impressive scowl.

‘Mom, what’s going on here? What is this woman doing in our house?’ 

Mom? 

My gaze flew from his face, to Lisa, and back again. 

_Mom_? 

Oh… _shit_ … Was this… the ever elusive Christopher Evans? I’d met Scott a few weeks ago. Which meant that this was the one son, and the only one of Lisa’s offspring, I hadn’t had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting… yet… _Oh, no_.

He looked so different from the various children’s and teenage pictures, which Lisa had hanging about the house. For one, he wasn’t the scrawny looking kid anymore, and for two, his face was hidden behind a full beard, complemented by messy bedhead. No wonder I hadn’t recognised him…

Lisa had by now recovered from her laughter, and snickered on and off , when she introduced us.

‘Chris, I’d like you to meet my tenant, and friend, Eleanor Severins. Ellie, this big brute here, is my son, Chris. I’m sorry if he scared you. I should have let you know that he had arrived, but he came in very late last night, and you were already asleep, and I didn’t want to disturb you. He was supposed to arrive early tomorrow. I told you, remember? But he decided to come early, to surprise his mom.’ Lisa beamed at me, while I was starting to feel a bit faint. 

‘Um… Hi…’ I stammered, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. ‘I… Um… I’m so sorry about all this.’ I gestured at the bat and shrugged helplessly. ‘I... Um... I thought you were a burglar.’ I ended a bit lamely. _Way to make a good first impression, Ellie._ I chastised myself, fighting a cringe.

Christopher looked down at his outfit -which, I had to admit, looked more like sleep clothes than burglar clothes, now that the panic had subsided-, and then back up at me, his expression incredulous. Then he turned to his mom, ignoring me and my greeting. Wow, rude much?

‘ _This,_ is the elderly widow who you’ve been talking about? Who you rented out the garage-studio to? Who you invited to our Christmas party?...  I think something went wrong during our communiques, because this woman is not elderly. And I doubt she’s really a widow. 

'Really, mum? You fell for a sad sob story, and decided to pull this woman into our lives? Into our home? And what was Carly thinking? And Shanna? Have you all lost your minds?’ He gestured wildly, while speaking, and threw his arms up when he was done. He rubbed his big hands over his face in apparent frustration, before raking his fingers through his hair.

I was speechless from the intensity of his body language, and the rudeness of his words. Who was this guy? _Uptight much?_

Lisa wasn’t very impressed with her son, either, it seemed. She frowned at him as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, tapping her foot in irritation.

‘Christopher Robert Evans! You should be ashamed of yourself. You apologise to Ellie this instant, you hear me?’ He voice was deadly calm and firm at the same time, a note of steel in her tone.

‘I will do no such thing. This woman wormed her way into your life, without my knowledge, and you’ve lied about her to me. Do you have any idea how that looks from where I am standing?’ He also crossed his arms over his chest, biceps bulging under the tight t-shirt sleeves.

Lisa raised her eyebrows in challenge.

‘Really? Because I don’t remember lying about anything.’

Chris scoffed at his mom.

‘You said she was an elderly widow, mom. And so did Carly and Shanna. And Scott. You al lied!’ He sounded more hurt than angry now.

‘I did no such thing. We did not lie to you, Christopher. We said she was an _older_ widow, who was about to lose her home and, because of that, her green card, due to an asshole landlord. Which meant she would be deported, and wouldn’t be able to teach the kids at your old high school anymore. And all that was the truth, you stubborn big oaf!’ 

When he opened his mouth to retort, she interrupted him with a scowl that was almost as impressive as his was.

‘And don’t give me the ‘but you said she was _older_ and she isn’t’ nonsense. That is also the truth. We just didn’t say whom she was older than, and how much. We knew that you’d object to a perfectly lovely and trustworthy tenant, if you knew her age, so we left that little tidbit out of our talks.’ Lisa smiled slyly at her son. ‘And before you ask; she is eighteen months older than you are.’ Then she winked at me. Actually winked. I raised my eyebrows at her and pulled up my shoulders, looking back down at the floor and trying to disappear in my big winter coat.

Whereas Lisa seemed to take the whole situation in stride, and saw everything from the humorous side, her son wasn’t so gracious. He stalked towards me, his expression thunderous as he towered over me, and I shrunk back a bit.

‘You should go and pack your things. I want you out of here by nightfall.’ He said authoritatively.

I swallowed, not believing my ears.

‘What?’ I whispered. This couldn’t be happening. Was I really going to lose the roof over my head, on Christmas Eve?

He frowned at me; blue eyes dark with distrust.

‘You heard me. I don’t want you here for Christmas. You’re not welcome here anymore. Leave.’

‘Christopher!’ Lisa’s shocked voice broke through the sudden haze in my head. ‘What are you doing?!’

I tried to keep calm, but I felt tears stinging in my eyes as I gazed up at him, completely crushed by his cold and callous attitude towards me. How could a family as warm and welcoming as Lisa’s, produce a man who was this coldhearted and rude?

‘I… I’m sorry.’ I stammered and looked away, at a visibly flabbergasted Lisa. I closed my eyes before looking back up at Christopher. ‘I… I… I’ll get out of your hair. I… I’ll be out by sunset.’ My voice shook as I spoke, and it broke on the last word, a treacherous tear escaping my eye. I wiped it away with a quick gesture, and turned on my heel, picking up my photo gear bag on my way to the door to my apartment. I had to get out of this poisonous environment. Away from this poisonous man.

Quietly, I closed the door behind me and l made it up the stairs before breaking down on the floor of my studio, quietly sobbing, trying to keep it down so he wouldn’t hear me.

Downstairs it was like all hell had broken loose. I could hear Lisa’s voice as she tore her son a new one. Her voice was shrill in her fury.

‘Christopher Robert Evans! I can’t believe you just did that! That poor woman! You go up and apologise this instant! Do you have any idea how long it has taken me to coax her out of her shell?! To get her to trust me enough to open up? She was so shy and sad in the beginning…’ She trailed off, and I could hear her son’s low voice trying to reason with her. 

I couldn’t exactly make out what he was saying, because he kept his voice quiet, but I had an idea of the direction he went in, when Lisa erupted again. ‘You won’t kick her out! Not now and not in the future. She stays! I don’t care what you say. This is still my house and you will do well to remember that.’ 

Murmurs again. And then,

‘DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT SHE’S BEEN THROUGH?!’ 

_Oh, no._

I closed my eyes and let my forehead rest against the banister to my left. I knew what was coming and I was helpless to stop it.

‘Two and a half years ago, her husband killed himself by plowing his car into a tree at full speed. With her sitting next to him, Chris. She was in hospital for six months, before she was well enough to go home. Alone. She was eight months pregnant with their baby girl at the time of the accident, Chris. And she went home, _alone_.’ Lisa’s voice broke on the last word. 

I shivered at her recounting of the nightmare I’d lived, and absentmindedly rubbed a hand over the wide scar on my lower abdomen. Somehow it felt like it had happened to someone else, in another lifetime, and at the same time I relived it like it was yesterday.

‘Do you really think I’d let someone into our lives if I wasn’t completely sure about them? Carly had Pete do a thorough background check, before she even brought Ellie to me.’ 

_Wait, what?_  

‘And guess what? Her story checked out, completely. Of course we didn’t know the details of her husband’s death, not until she opened up and told me, but _everything_ Pete threw at the background check, checked out, Chris! EVERYTHING!

I showed her your childhood and teenage pictures, and there was nothing in her reaction that pointed to her knowing who you are. No recognition, no slip up. Nothing. I casually talked about the Marvel movies, asked her what she thought of them, and do you know what she said? She doesn’t really _like_ movies. Never really bothers to go to the cinema. She prefers to read books, make her own movies, in her head.’

There were more deep rumbles.

‘Yes, you better be sorry, Christopher Evans! I hope you’ll feel guilty and bad about what you just did, for quite some time to come. Trying to throw a woman out into the street on Christmas Eve… And on her birthday, too, now that I think of it. Scrooge couldn’t have done it any better… Sometimes, it’s like I don’t even know you anymore, Chris.’ Lisa sounded so sad, and I felt for her.

‘Now, you go and wash up, because you do look, and smell, like a vagabond, she wasn’t wrong to think that you were a burgling tramp, you know! Go get dressed, and then get ready to offer Ellie asincere apology she’ll accept, and then do some good, old, grovelling to prove that you really mean it!’ She sounded like the stern mother I’d only heard a few times before today. Mostly when one of her children or grandchildren were misbehaving… or stealing her freshly baked cookies.

It was quiet for some time, and then I could hear Lisa shuffle around in the kitchen. Crockery clinking together as she prepared her coffee. 

There was a soft knock on the door at the foot of the stairs, before it opened to reveal Lisa, holding a tray with two mugs of coffee. She looked up, and saw me sitting on the top step of the stairs, my head leaning against the banister, as I hugged my arms around myself. I probably looked a mess after my ugly cry, still dressed in my thick coat and my snow boots. I gave her a trembling, watery smile, and Lisa let out a sad sigh before climbing up the stairs, her eyes compassionate as she looked up at me.

She sat down next to me, on the top stair, setting down the tray with the coffee mugs to the side, on the other side of the banister, so she wouldn’t accidentally tip over one of the mugs and make a mess.

Lisa tutted at me and tugged at my coat.

‘Let’s get you out of this jacket and those boots, hon, before you overheat.’ She helped me take off my coat and my boots, throwing them to the side, in the direction of the coatrack. Then she handed me my coffee.

‘With a splash of milk and two sugars, just as you like it.’ 

I thanked her with a slight smile, and brought the beverage up to my mouth, blowing on it before taking a small sip. 

I felt her hand on my back as I swallowed the lovely brew. She rubbed up and down in a comforting gesture.

‘Are you okay?’ She asked quietly, leaning slightly toward me, her tone almost apologetic.

I nodded slowly, expelling a shuddering breath. 

‘I think so.’ I answered truthfully. ‘I’ll assume I won’t be required to pack my bags anymore?’ 

Lisa shook her head, giving me a wry smile.

‘He had no right to ask that of you. And he had no right to behave the way he did. This is my house, and as long as he is under this roof, he will respect my rules, and behave courteously toward the people in my life. If he can’t get himself to do that, I’ll ask him to leave.’ 

She sighed. 

‘That said, I think he’ll be appropriately contrite, the next time you see him. He was very distraught after he realised what he’d done; how badly he’d behaved, without having any grounded reason to do so .’ She looked at me with sadness in her eyes.

‘I’m so very sorry that I told him about what happened to you, the way I did. I had no right to tell your story, I know that, and I hope you can forgive me for that. I just didn’t know how to make him understand that he has nothing to fear from you.’

I gave her a reassuring nod and patted her knee.

‘It’s okay, Lisa. No harm done. What I don’t understand, though, is why he is so unbelievably paranoid. What made him this way?’ I really was puzzled by it. I had surmised that there was something important that I was missing about this family, and about Christopher Evans in particular, but I really had no idea _what_ that was.

Lisa chuckled and shook her head.

‘Oh, hon, you have no idea how refreshing your nescience is. But maybe it’s time to lift the veil.’ 

I raised my eyebrows in wonder, at her choice of words.

‘What are you talking about, Lisa? He’s not some kind of mafia boss or anything, is he?’ Nervousness took over my previously sad demeanour.

She shook her head, chuckling again.

‘No, No, it’s nothing like that, don’t worry, Ellie.’ She took a deep breath. ‘So, you know about the Marvel movies I just yelled about at Chris, yes?’ I nodded, wondering where she was going with that train of thought. 

‘Well, our Chris is one of the stars of that franchise.’ She sounded so proud of that fact. A fact that didn’t mean anything to me, as I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about..

‘Oh. Okay.’ I said, still not really sure where this was going. I guess Lisa saw my confusion, because she took her phone out of the pocket on her dressing gown and went onto Google. She quickly typed in something and pressed enter. Then she handed me the phone, one big picture on the screen. I put down my coffee to take the phone in both hands.

She pointed at the blond man in the tight, blue, white and red combat suit, who was in the picture, looking very heroic.

‘Do you know who that is?’

I frowned, trying to remember the name, and then nodded.

‘Yeah, that’s that comic book hero… Um… Captain America… Right? There were some movies about him, a few years back… I think.’ Lisa nodded and looked at me expectantly, humming encouragingly. 

I looked from her, to the picture and then back to her. She looked like she was waiting for the penny to drop, her eyes twinkling with mirth. Wait… She couldn’t be serious.

‘Do you mean… That this…’ I pointed at the picture of the blond, clean shaven, _gorgeous_ man. ‘… Is _him_?!’ I pointed down the stairs towards the kitchen, where my altercation with Lisa’s very disheveled son had taken place.

Lisa nodded vigorously.

‘ _No_.’ I said, my tone completely disbelieving. There was _no_ way the god in the photo was the same man I had the misfortune of meeting today. I had to admit they had about the same build, but that’s where the similarities ended. 

‘Yes.’ Lisa said, very assuredly. ‘You’d be surprised what wonders a shave and a haircut do for my boy. Oh, and some blond hair dye of course.’ She added with a snicker. Then she snapped her fingers and took the phone back.

‘Oh, wait. The trailer of the new Avengers movie was released, only a few weeks ago. He’s in that too, and they let Cap keep Chris’s beard and they toned his hair a darker blond, almost brown. Look!’ She’d gone to Youtube and pulled up a video. She handed me the phone again.

I viewed the trailer with astonishment, because, there he was, in all his well built glory, a more polished version of the bearded man I’d met downstairs. When the trailer ended, I looked up at Lisa.

‘Um, I don’t know what to say to this. I’m a bit dazed by it all, to be honest.’ That was quite the understatement I’d made. Finding out the son of your landlady, and friend, was a world famous actor, wasn’t something that happened to me every day. Or any day, actually…

I gave Lisa back her phone and picked my coffee mug back up from beside me, taking a big sip to disguise my dumbstruck expression. The still warm beverage burned its way down my throat.

‘I know it’s a lot to take in, but I showed you this, to help you understand why my son is the way he is. His fame skyrocketed after the first Captain America movie, and it’s become very hard for him to discern between friend and foe. 

‘There have been a few women in his life, whom he was sure were genuine in their romantic intentions, but who were revealed to be taking advantage of his goodness, and ended up being ice-cold gold diggers. 

He’s even lost friends because they couldn’t handle him being famous, or, if they were in the industry, him being more famous than they are. It is a very lonely existence at the top, where you can’t be sure that people won’t take advantage of you or of your family. 

Chris has a protective streak a mile wide, and sometimes it gets the better of him, like it did today. I’ll admit it’s not pretty and it’s no excuse for his behaviour, which I am still angry with him about, by the way, but he was trying to protect me and his sisters from being exploited by, what he saw as, yet another swindler.

Now, I hope you’ll let this explanation weigh in, when he comes by to apologise. And that it will help you forgive him for his abysmal rudeness. He really is a lovely boy, once you get past the prickliness. It might take a while for him to warm up to you, but when he sees what a wonderful and warm person you are, you’ll have a friend for life.’ Lisa’s eyes twinkled as she said those last words. It was clear to me that she loved her son very much. 

I also knew that mothers were sometimes so blinded by their love for their children, that they had trouble to clearly see the shortcomings of their offspring. I wasn’t so sure that Chris really was as lovely as she made him out to be, not after what I’d just witnessed, downstairs, in the kitchen. I drank the last of my coffee and rolled the mug between my hands a bit, lost in thought.

Lisa must have seen my doubtful expression, because she drained her own coffee and took my mug from me, placing both mugs back on the tray. She patted my thigh and stood up, walking down a few steps before lifting the tray to take it back to the kitchen with her.

‘I can’t ask you to forget what happened, I know that. All I ask is you give him the benefit of the doubt. Get to know him, before you judge him too harshly. I know it’s a lot to ask, but, please, think about it, okay?’ She looked at me pleadingly.

I pursed my lips and nodded, face still skeptical. I understood why she needed me to get along with her son, but he’d scared me earlier with his abysmal behaviour, and I didn’t know if I was up to playing nice… yet.

‘Okay. Now, you go shower and get dressed. It’s coming up to nine and your birthday guests will be here in less than three hours. We have a lot to do, still.’

My gaze flew up to hers, startled, as I remembered what day it was. 

‘Oh, I almost forgot about that. I’ll be down shortly to help you set up.’ I smiled at her and breathed deeply. Time to get a move on. I had a birthday to celebrate after all.

Lisa smiled warmly.

‘There’s my girl! Go get ready, I’ll go get started on the decorations.’ She turned around and descended the stairs, disappearing through the door to the kitchen.

I made a humming sound in agreement, and stood up, stretching, as I walked to my closet to pick out some festive clothes. 

Time to put the drama out of my head, and get ready to receive my guests. I was sure the shower would help lessen the niggling feeling of sadness that had been in the back of my head, and in the pit of my stomach, ever since Lisa’s son had blown up at me. 

Lisa had already assured me that I wasn’t going anywhere, no matter what her son said, and that was somewhat reassuring, but I still felt off.

Sighing deeply to chase away the last of my nerves, I made my way to my tiny bathroom, to shower and get dressed for the day ahead.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First meeting, reloaded.

**Chapter 2**

 

Forty-five minutes later, I had showered, shaved and moisturised. I put on my favourite, distressed, mid rise, light blue capri jeans -Which were quite old, but oh so soft and comfy- and a hot-pink peasant top with a wide neckline. The top was cinched below my breasts and from there it flowed loosely to just below the top of my jeans. 

The outfit was a bit summery for the weather being so wintery, but even though it was freezing cold outside, Lisa always had the heating on quite high, and I was sure it would be warm and toasty during the party. Especially if there was dancing, or running around with Carly’s kids. And hey, it was my birthday. I was going to wear whatever I wanted. I pulled on long, rainbow striped leg-warmers to keep my lower legs warm, pulling them up to just under my knees and allowing them to slouch comfortably.  I decided on wearing a long, turquoise, beaded necklace with a silver disk pendant, and a few silver and turquoise bracelets, to complement my outfit.

Knowing that we’d not only be entertaining grown-ups, but also children, I kept my makeup to a minimum. Just some light BB cream to hide my blemishes, some blush and a light dusting of powder to set it all. I completed the look by putting on some lilac eyeshadow on my eyelids and black mascara on my lashes, finishing it all of with a sweep of transparent pink lipgloss on my lips.  I’d blow dried my shoulder length hair, earlier, and had curled it into big, loose, dark brown waves, giving my usually straight hair lots of volume.

I checked my appearance in the mirror one last time, and slipped a pair of light blue ballerinas onto my bare feet. That was as good as it was gonna get for today. I’d given up on looking sophisticated for parties, years ago. Somehow I always ended up looking like a teen girl who was playing dress up with her mom’s clothes. I guessed it had something to do with my slender and short stature, combined with a wide face, with round cheekbones and a round jawline, that kept me looking more babyfaced than I wanted. I was carded when buying wine not two weeks ago, and today I was celebrating my thirty-eighth birthday, for crying out loud. 

Nowadays I just dressed whichever way I wanted, which mostly turned out to be quirky, and leaned more toward vintage fashion, than following the latest trends. One of my colleagues had once compared my sense of style, to Helena Bonham Carter's. It was probably also because the shape of my face and my dark hair reminded her of the actress.

I sighed. Nothing to be done about it, I was stuck looking like a kid for the rest of my life. I’d probably still be carded when I was old and wrinkly and grey-haired. It was my lot in life and I’d made my peace with it. Some of the time, anyway…

When I entered the kitchen, I was surprised to find it empty, except for a medium height, light brown dog of questionable heritage. He had two white front legs and a white chest and his two back legs had white feet. He was adorable. When he looked up from drinking from a bowl of water, and slowly started with a hesitant wag of his tail as he walked toward me, I felt myself melting for his sweet face.

‘Well, hello there, where did you come from?’ I spoke softly, and held out my hand for the dog to sniff. The dog gave me a gentle lick on my wrist and wagged his tail a bit faster. I bent over to pet him and scratch behind his ears. He pushed his side up against my legs and let his tongue lol out of his mouth, panting happily. ’Aren’t you a cutie.’ I crooned, and I kneeled down to cuddle him a bit more. The dog took this as a sign to start licking my jaw with enthusiasm. I laughed elatedly and tried to push him away a bit. I’d just washed, and to be covered in dog saliva for the rest of the day, wasn’t really on my to do list. ‘Whoah, down, you naughty boy.’ 

I chuckled as he started to play a catch-me-if-you-can game with me. I’d try to catch him and he evaded me, only to jump happily back into my reach and nip at my hands right afterwards. 

‘So, what’s your name, handsome fellow?’ I awww-ed when he cuddled with me again.

‘His name is Dodger.’ A deep voice behind me said.

The smile fell from my face and I stiffened a bit as I half turned toward the voice, keeping my eyes on the floor, a flutter of nerves bouncing around in my tummy, while my arms were still around the dog. He must have sensed my stress levels going up, because he let out a soft whine and pushed up against me. I turned my attention back to the dog, petting him soothingly.

‘It’s okay, Dodger. Everything is okay. Shhh.’ I shushed him, not really sure who I was trying to convince, him or myself.

Slowly I stood up, the dog still pushing himself against my legs, apparently trying to soothe my nerves with his presence.

I hesitantly looked up at Christopher, who was leaning against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. I took in his change in clothes. His feet were now clad in black socks and he was wearing grey chino trousers, held up by a black leather belt around his narrow hips. As my eyes traveled further up, I noticed that the dark red, long sleeved shirt, was tight enough to show off his muscled physique. _Jesus_. Talk about well built.

When I had gathered enough courage to look him in the face, I felt like I was punched in the gut. He really was gorgeous. The promo pictures his mother had shown me didn’t do him justice. In real life his presence was so much more powerful. I swallowed as he gazed back at me with a serious expression on his face.  Gone was the disheveled vagabond look. His hair was now combed to the side and back, with some hair product to keep it in place, and he had trimmed his beard from bushy, to what looked like a few days stubble.

Finally, I looked him in the eyes. Gorgeous, deep blue eyes. I felt a flutter in my tummy.

_Shit. Not good._

I cleared my throat to cover my awkwardness and swallowed again, sticking my hands into the back pockets of my jeans, just to give them something to do. I noticed, from the corner of my eye, that Dodger had sat down next to me, tongue lolling out and panting, as he looked from me to Chris and back again. He bumped my hip with his nose.

Chris’s eyes trailed down to the dog and the corners of his mouth turned up minutely.

‘He usually isn’t this friendly toward strangers.’ He remarked, surprise tingeing his deep voice. ‘I adopted him from a shelter and he has a bit of trouble with trusting people. It usually takes him longer to warm up to someone.’

I gave him a hesitant smile, recognising the peace offering. The dog was a safe middle ground to start from.

‘He’s a real sweetheart. He’s still quite young, isn’t he?’ I looked down at the dog.

‘Yes, he’s about two now. So, still a spring chicken. He’s like a toddler, full of mischief and cuddles.’ Fondness for the dog coloured his tone and when I looked back up at him, he was smiling. Really smiling. Not at the dog. At me. It was a sight to behold, and I forgot to breathe for a few seconds.

As always when I felt off kilter, my mouth ran away with my wits.

‘Jesus, Evans, turn down that megawatt smile a bit, will ya? Us mere mortals are not built to withstand all that magnificence.’ I clapped a hand over my mouth, and stared at him with wide eyes, mortified by what had come out of my mouth. ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry.’ I mumbled from behind my hand.

His smile faded, and for a second he looked dumbstruck, as he gazed at me with raised eyebrows. His expression elicited a nervous giggle from me, and it was enough to break through his surprised stupor. A loud snort burst free from him and he grabbed his left pec with his right hand as he bent over a bit from the laughter that followed the snort.

Suddenly, I could see the warmth and kindness radiating from him. The same warmth and kindness that the rest of his family had in spades. And I realised that Lisa had been right about her son. Whatever had happened to him in the past, it had caused him to build a wall around his heart, to guard his inner self against malicious intent from the people that surrounded him on a daily basis, when he was not around his family. It saddened me to realise this. It was a depressing way to live.

Maybe Lisa was also right about asking me to give him a chance to redeem himself. I decided that it was worth a shot, and stepped up to where he was recovering from his bout of laughter. He took a deep breath and straightened up again.

I looked up at him and stuck out my hand. _Sheesh, he’s tall._

‘I think we got off on the wrong foot this morning.’ I said as he gently took my hand in his. _Whoah, big, strong, hands._ ‘Hello, I’m Ellie Severins, it’s nice to finally meet you.’

Shaking my hand, he gave me a charmingly crooked smile.

‘Chris Evans. How are you?’ I smiled at hearing his Bostonian accent, which apparently decided to make an appearance at this exact moment. I’d been hearing it all around me for the last nine months, and it made me feel more at ease, hearing it in this man’s voice. The ‘How are you’ in Bostonian accent sounded more like ‘Howaaya?’ 

‘I’m fine, now. Thank you.’

His face clouded over slightly, at the small sting I couldn’t help but put into my answer. I knew it was a bit petty, but he hadn’t been very courteous this morning, either. The fact that I’d already decided to forgive and forget, didn’t mean that I wouldn’t let him work for said forgiveness a bit. 

He let go of my hand and put his right hand on the back of his neck, rubbing it self-consciously. It was clear he was feeling uneasy with the situation, no matter how charming and confident he’d seemed seconds ago.

‘Yeah, about that…’ He cleared his throat, frowning slightly. ‘I’m real sorry for blowing up at you like that. The things I said… They’re inexcusable... It’s just… There have been people who have tried to get close to me, by going through my family. They’ve been used and discarded a few times, and that hurt, a lot. Not just them, but also me. So, when I saw that you weren’t who I thought you were, who my family let me believe you were, well, I lost it a bit. I know it’s no excuse, but it’s the only explanation I’ve got. Again, I’m very sorry, and I hope you can forgive me for being such an asshole.’

I raised an eyebrow at him.

‘Oh, and who was I supposed to be then?’ I challenged with a humorous note in my voice.

He chuckled shyly, rubbing his neck again. Did the man know how his biceps bulged, and how his pec jumped, when he did that? It was mighty distracting. I shook myself mentally and focussed on his answer.

‘Well, um, when Carly told me that you were an older widow, my mind automatically jumped to the conclusion that you were my mom’s age, grey hair and all. Apparently, my sister intended for me to think that, and she never corrected me whenever we talked about you. The woman should have been a lawyer; manipulative wench that she is.’

I snorted at his description of his sister, as it was the same moniker I always used in relation to her.

‘You’ve hit the nail on its head with that denomination. But, really, grey haired and old? You’d think being a widow is a niche business or something. I always get that “Oh, you look much too young to be a widow” schtick.’ I said in a low voice, parroting the last blind date I’d had. ‘Those one-liners get very old, very fast. As if young people don’t die every day, too, just like old people.’ I saw him flinch a bit at that last sentence. 

‘Sorry ‘bout that.’ I apologised. ‘I’ve become a bit desensitised over the past few years. I’m a very cynical, older young widow, now.’ Throwing him a wink, I continued. ‘But to get back to your explanation, and apology… Apology accepted. You’re forgiven. Just don’t let it happen again.’

He raised his eyebrows, apparently surprised at my easy acceptance. He probably expected to have to grovel a lot more.

‘Just like that?’ His tone was laced with disbelief.

I nodded, giving him a wry smile.

‘Just like that. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in the past few years, it’s that life’s too short to hold grudges. After everything I’ve lost, and all that I’ve been through, I don’t really feel like dwelling on negative feelings over trivial things, that are outside my power to change.’ I shrugged. ‘Mind you, that is not always easy, but it’s one of my mottos. Accept, Adapt, Move on. Don’t allow outside negativity to disturb your inner peace too much. Try to keep the universe inside you as tranquil as possible. Forgive when you can, and try to not linger on anger.' I looked down at the ground and cleared my throat, suddenly feeling a bit hesitant about opening up to this man so easily. Something about him, made me overcome my usual shyness much faster than I normally did when meeting new people.

When he stayed quiet for longer than I expected, I looked up again. The expression on his face could only be described as astonishment.

‘What?’ I asked, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks from being slightly uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

‘Do you practice Buddhism?’ He asked, out of the blue, a slight smile now playing on his lips.

I frowned at his question, puzzled by its randomness.

‘Um, no, not that I am aware. I’m more of a practicing atheist.’ Scratching my wrist in thought, I looked him in the eye and raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Why would you suddenly think of Buddhism?’

He chuckled at my confusion.

‘Because it sounds like you do, even if you’re not aware. What you just described is the core of Zen Buddhism. It doesn’t matter if you’re an atheist; Zen Buddhism, and also Buddhism itself, is a philosophy, not a religion.’

I chuckled and wrinkled my nose. I was more of a very sceptical DIY girl when it came to life’s philosophies.

‘Ah, well, that’s a funny coincidence then.’ I shrugged, not really knowing what to do with this information. ‘But why that question?’

He smiled.

‘Well, if you must know, I practice Zen Buddhism. I started the meditation exercises years ago, because they help with my anxiety. Only, the more I learnt about it, the more the whole philosophy spoke to me, so I started studying it. That’s why I asked. Your words were so familiar to me, I just had to ask.’

I nodded in understanding.

‘Ah.’ I said, not really knowing how to carry the conversation further than that. I shyly looked away from him and petted the dog, who was still pushed up against my leg. Dodger panted happily at the attention, and then strolled back to his food, leaving me alone with his dad. Traitor.

I wrung my hands nervously, and chanced a glance up at the man.

Chris chuckled bashfully when he saw my obvious uneasiness with the situation.

‘Well, how about we go help my mom with the decorations? I saw a few balloons that need hanging.’

I cleared my throat.

‘Hm, yes, great idea.’ Shit, I was so awkward I almost made myself outwardly cringe.

He gestured for me to lead the way, and together we walked into the living room, ready to help Lisa with my birthday decorations.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birthday parties and unexpected guests...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing.
> 
> I make no money with this story.
> 
> This is my sandbox.

**Chapter 3**

 

Sunday, 24 December, 2017, 12:21 pm, Sudbury, Ma.

 

‘Mom, I’m home! Eleanor, my sistah from another mistah! Where’s my favourite little Dutch girl?’ A male voice suddenly yelled from the kitchen, as myself and the other occupants of the living room heard the outside door slam open and then closed. ‘Birthday Girl! Where are you?’ The man singsonged as he stepped into the room.

‘Uncle Scott!’ Both of Carly’s children shot from where they were playing, towards the tall man standing in the door opening.

Scott lifted both kids at once.

‘Well, hello there, spawn of my sister’s loins. Have you seen Ellie? You know, the tiny little fairy who lives in grandma’s attic? Dresses like an exploded rainbow most of the time?’ The little girl who was sitting on his right hip giggled at his description, and pointed in my direction.

I snickered at his comment and stood up from the couch, where I’d been chatting with Shanna, to greet him properly. Now that Scott had arrived, all four of Lisa’s children, and their significant others and children, were present. I was sure it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the guests would start arriving too.

‘Stop your dissing of my height, long shanks! Or I’ll be forced to teach you a bit of humility by turning you into a frog. My fairy magic is strong and you are no match for me.’ I joked.

Scott put both kids down and gave me a wide grin, opening his arms wide.

‘Birthday girl! You look lovely! How you doin’, my darling rainbow fairy? Have you sprinkled your queer fairy dust far and wide?’

I laughed as I stepped into the man’s warm embrace and he wrapped me up in a bone crushing hug. I groaned slightly.

‘I’ve been a bit busy with school, darling. Haven’t been able to procure you the requested husband, yet. So sorry.’ 

Scott sighed.

‘Oh well, I could always marry you, of course. For you are the Queer Rainbow Fairy. I shall be the envy of the whole world. There shall be glitter for as far as we can see.’ He winked at me as he stepped back from me, releasing me from his strong arms.

‘Don’t get your hopes up, jester, I don’t share my fairy dust with just anyone, you know.’ I snickered. ‘Especially not with someone who is just using me for my glitter, like you.’

Scott grabbed his chest in mock hurt and scrunched up his face.

‘You wound me, witch! I am innocent of what you speak of.’

‘Sure you are.’ My voice was as sceptical as my expression.

He let out a laugh as he ruffled my hair.

‘Hey!’ I quickly put it to rights again. ‘It took me quite some time to get it like this, don’t screw up the hair, man.’

Scott wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

‘Oooh, you’ve done your hair, and everything!’ He gestured at my appearance. ‘Are you expecting someone special for your birthday? Tell me, who’s the lucky guy? Or gal?’

I sighed and threw him an annoyed look. He had been trying to set me up with someone queer ever since he'd learned I was bisexual. It was sweet that he cared so much, but also a bit irritating at times, as I wasn’t ready to be thrown back into the dating pool. I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready again. Not after the shitload of pain my last relationship had put me through.

‘No-one special, Scott… Unless you meant yourself, because then, yes, 'cause you’re just _super duper special_.’ I grinned at him mischievously, sarcasm heavy in my voice.

The subject of my sarcasm huffed out a laugh and gave me another hug.

‘I missed you, my snarky rainbow fairy.’ He squeezed me firmly, until I let out a groan in protest.

‘Too tight.’ I croaked. ‘Need… Oxygen…’

Scott snickered and released me when he heard a voice from behind us.

‘Scott! Long time no see, man!’ Chris called out from where he’d entered the room.

I cringed a bit at hearing his voice, my face scrunching up in a grimace, as I was still not completely recovered from his outburst from this morning. I was getting better, but nerves exploded in my tummy every time I unexpectedly heard his voice.

Scott frowned at my reaction, before looking between me and his brother. It was almost comical, the way his head swerved back and forth. I kept my eyes averted from his eagle eye focus, hoping he’d ignore the sudden awkwardness that I radiated. 

When I looked up at him, because he was a bit too quiet, I saw that he had narrowed his eyes at his brother, who was walking toward him, smile on his face.

‘What did you do?’ Scott sounded suspicious as he addressed his sibling. Chris’ smile faded a bit. Scott looked down at me. ‘What did he do?’ He asked me, eyes searching my face. What he found there, didn’t ease his sudden suspicion. He turned to his brother, stance defensive.

‘Scott.’ I said quietly. I heard my tone was soft and pleading and a bit sad, which only spurred him on more. He took a step to the left, shielding me effectively from his brother with his broad stance. ‘Please.’ I tried to get him to relax by putting my hand on his shoulder. He shook it off and I felt the tenseness in his muscles just before I let go.

‘What did you _do,_ Chris?!’ His tone now more forceful and angry than I had ever heard him. 

I had gotten the impression of Scott being amicable and friendly, always joking around and being a tactile person, a softy even, when I’d gotten to know him, but apparently there was another side to him, which came out when someone he cared for had been wronged or threatened in some way or another.

The two brothers faced off, standing close, almost nose to nose, and it drove it home to me that although Scott was the younger brother, they were both about the same size, height wise and muscle wise. Both men looked wary of the other.

I stepped forward to diffuse the sudden tension in the room.

‘Scott, it was just a misunderstanding. It’s nothing. Everything’s okay.’

Scott turned to me.

‘Didn’t look like nothing to me, the way you reacted to him just now.’ His tone was tense as he looked back at Chris. ‘What happened?’

‘We scared the crap out of each other this morning. I thought he was a burglar, he thought I was a crazy fan interloper. Then he discovered that the little old lady who lived above his mom’s garage was little, and a lady, but not as old as he’d been led to believe. He didn’t take it well. But after your mom gave him a thorough speaking to, he relented and apologised. We’re good.’

Scott glared at Chris.

‘Really, man?’

Chris looked contrite and shrugged slightly.

‘She was swinging a baseball bat at me at the time. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to process it all, just waking up, with a jet lag and no coffee in my system. I overreacted. I’m sorry.’ He then grumbled. ‘And you all have, very artfully, kept silent about her not being who I thought she was, so it’s your fault just as much as it was mine.’ 

‘Oh, fuck off, Chris.’ Scott scoffed and then turned to me again. ‘You really tried to beat him up with a baseball bat?!’ An admiring smile breaking through on his face, he held up his hand to high five me.

I grimaced as I slapped his hand with mine and simultaneously shook my head in shame. Nope, it definitely hadn’t been my proudest moment.

‘I thought he was a burglar. He looked like a homeless bum and he was threatening me. So I took a swing at him when he tried to reach for me. I thought something happened to Lisa and I went into defensive mode.’ 

He nodded thoughtfully, a small smile lingering.

‘Well, looks to me like we couldn’t have found a better tenant for mom, guys.’ He said to his siblings. ‘She went all momma bear on our dear brother when she thought mom was under threat.’ I heard Shanna and Carly whoop and high five behind me, as Scott enveloped me into another tight hug. ‘Thanks for that, hon.’ He murmured in my ear and snickered. ‘I’d pay good money to see you going all psycho on Chris again, you know.’ 

The whispered joke made me whack him on the shoulder when he let me go.

‘You better hope I don’t use it on you, you tease!’ I grumbled good-naturedly. 

It was then that there was a knock on the front door and the mood in the room shifted again, more towards relaxed and festive. 

‘Yay, biwfday guests!’ Miles, Carly’s son, yelled as he ran to the door to open it. He had been asking for birthday cake ever since he arrived and his mother had told him he would get some when the guests arrived. Which was now, apparently.

After this, it was a flurry of activity for about an hour as I greeted people and passed along cake and drinks, before going to the next group arriving. I’d invited a few of my colleagues from work, Lisa’s neighbours, and a couple of other friends from the neighbourhood. 

All in all there were about twenty people -apart from the Evanses- milling about the living room. Everyone was talking, and laughing, and eating, and drinking, and having a good time. I was happy with the turn-out and was nipping from a glass of champagne when there was another knock on the door.

Seeing as everybody else was busy partying, I made my way to the door. When I opened it, I came face to face with two people whom I hadn’t invited to my birthday, and whom I didn’t really want in attendance. I quickly recovered from my shock, though, and plastered a polite smile on my face.

‘Jeffrey, Megan, how nice of you to drop by. Come on in.’ I said, glad that my tone was welcoming. I didn’t want to throw a scene on my birthday, at my own party, and just breathed through the hesitance I felt about letting them into the house.

It wasn’t that I actively disliked the two, both were mere acquaintances from work, and I couldn’t exactly pinpoint why both individuals sparked such a reluctance in me, but they did. I wondered how it was that they came to be here at exactly the same time. They weren’t _together_ , together, and didn’t even live in the same town.

Jeffrey, a bespectacled man in his late forties, was a math teacher at my school. He was a bit overweight and had a receding hairline, his mousy brown hair being a bit too long, giving him the cliché maths teacher appearance.

Megan was a twenty-something, bubbly, assistant gym teacher, with the ideal barbie figure and matching blond hair, blue eyes and full lips. A Malibu Barbie, complete with -fake- tan.

They stepped over the threshold as one. Megan pushed a bottle of wine into my hands and proceeded to ignore me as she located Carly and, squeeing, ran up to her with tiny steps on her stilt-like heels, and hugged her as if she was her best friend, and started a lively conversation with her. Carly looked at me with her eyebrows raised almost to her hairline, the question clearly written on her face, _The fuck is she doing here?!_

I pulled a helpless face and shrugged apologetically, communicating a, _The fuck if I know…_ back at her. She rolled her eyes as subtly as possible and continued to politely engage in conversation with Megan, who had now somehow positioned herself next to Chris, while talking continuously at Carly, before not so subtly pulling Chris into the conversation. The way she looked at him, with wide, innocent blue eyes and exaggeratedly giggled at something he’d said, made me do a double take. 

Ah, that’s why _she_ was here. I turned toward the other party crasher. Now, why did _Jeffrey_ invite himself to my birthday party? I hadn’t exchanged more than a handful of words with him over the past few months, keeping him at a bit more than arms length. He had been a bit pushy with his _friendship_ when I had only just started working at the school, but I’d made it very clear to him that I wasn’t interested in a date, with _anyone_. He’d backed off after that; or so I’d thought. I sincerely hoped he wasn’t looking to rekindle his infatuation. 

I accepted his present, and acted like I found the book on The Netherlands, he’d gotten me, very interesting; nodding and smiling as he started explaining my own country and culture to me.

‘Thanks so much, Jeff. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and get yourself something to drink and a piece of cake, before it’s all gone.’ I interrupted his oration as I pointed to the drinks and snacks table.

He gave me a dopey smile that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and not in a good way.

‘Don’t mind if I do.’ He said and made his way to the table, throwing me a longing look over his shoulder. 

Shite… This was not good.

My birthday party had just become slightly less fun. I put the bottle of wine and the book down on the table that held the rest of my presents and looked around the room, seeing if everyone was still having a good time.

Someone had put on some music and Mary, one of my teacher friends, was dancing with Miles and his little sister. I smiled at their antics. The other adults were all engaged in conversations and everybody looked relaxed and happy. Good.

I talked a bit with every one of my guests and danced with Miles and Mary for a few songs; artfully avoiding being alone with Jeffrey for longer than a few seconds. It felt like he was following me around like a lost puppy. 

I was becoming more and more uncomfortable with his behaviour as the afternoon progressed, and when I saw that the snacks and drinks table was almost empty, I used it as an excuse to stroll to the kitchen and get some more crisps, beer and coca cola. By now I was desperate to escape the math teacher’s oily attentions.

What had I done to rekindle his interest in me? I thought back to the past few weeks, but I couldn’t come up with any circumstance where I could have unintentionally encouraged this kind of infatuation. 

I sighed as I walked into the kitchen, allowing the door to fall closed behind me. Suddenly a tall blond woman almost bowled me over in her hurry to leave the kitchen. I let out a squeaky breath in surprise.

‘Oh, Ellie, it’s you.’ She laughed as she put a hand on her heart. ‘You startled me.’ She bent towards me as she whispered conspiringly, ‘Have you seen Chris? I was talking to him earlierand he suddenly disappeared. I thought he’d gone in here, but I can’t find him. Do you have any idea where he went?’ I could smell the alcohol on her breath, and saw her swaying in her fake Louboutains. 

‘Um… I think I saw him walk to the guest bathroom.’ I said; hoping it would incite a quick retreat to the living room on her part. 

I was right. With a quick, ‘Thanks, Ellie.’, she was gone, the door closing behind her with a slight bang. Sheesh, that woman was a bit too eager for my tastes. Poor Chris.

I shook my head at that thought and snickered. Maybe not really ‘poor Chris’. Karma’s a bitch.

I pulled open the pantry door, determined to find more crisps for my guests, and got the fright of my life. I let out a low, shaky cry when I discovered a very startled Chris inside the small storeroom. He looked at me like a deer in headlights and lay a finger on his lips, signalling for me to be quiet.

‘What the hell are you doing in there?’ I whispered harshly; my heart beating in my throat from the scare he’d given me.

‘I’m trying to avoid that blonde colleague of yours. She’s like glue, man. Sticky!’ He hissed back at me, eyes wide as he looked around me at the kitchen door.

I raised my eyebrows at his strained stance.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked.

Before he could answer, the kitchen door was being pushed open again.

‘Ellie, are you in here?’ I heard Jeffrey’s voice.

My eyes went wide and I grimaced.

‘Shit.’ I whispered, so not ready to face that man again.

In a split second I looked around me and then turned back to Chris, tilting my head. Maybe his idea of hiding in the cupboard and avoiding a determined ‘stalker’, wasn’t the worst idea, I concluded, and I pushed him back into the already crowded pantry, stepping in after him and quietly closing the door behind me. The last thing I saw before it became dark, was the highly surprised and simultaneously very amused expression on Chris’ face when I squeezed between him and the shelves, so I could close the door properly.

I let out an annoyed huff.

Yup, Karma’s a bitch alright.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As far as birthdays go, this one sucks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been battling a very nasty flu for the past ten days and it had me knocked out for almost as long.
> 
> I'm not yet at a 100%, but getting better every day.
> 
> I own nothing.
> 
> I make no money from this story.
> 
> This is my Sandbox. :)

**Chapter 4**

 

In the darkness of the pantry, I tried to keep as much distance between Chris and myself as I could. Something that wasn’t easy -or, wasn’t actually possible-. The cupboard had been cramped already when it had been only him in here. With me added into the equation, it was a terribly tight fit.

And the fact that the man had trouble holding in his laughter, which made him shake and vibrate in the too small space, didn’t help at all. Small puffs of his breath blew against the crown of my head as he made a snickering noise that sounded like he tried desperately to keep quiet. I was becoming more and more annoyed by the second, very much regretting several life choices that led me to this moment.

‘Eleanor? Where are you?’ Jeffrey’s voice sounded surprised, and slightly whiney, when he didn’t find me where he thought I’d be. He’d been trying to get me alone for the whole afternoon and I suspected he’d thought he’d have me to himself when he followed me to the kitchen. I heard footsteps pass the pantry and then he opened the outside door. His voice sounded a bit further away when he called out my name into the snow covered yard. Grumbling, he closed the door again, with a very audible, agitated slam. Then he knocked on the only other door that was in the kitchen; the one that led to my flat.

‘Ellie? Are you up there? Did you need something from your apartment?’

_How does he know that that is the entrance to my flat?!_  My eyes widened at this realisation. It made me very uncomfortable that a man, who, to my knowledge, had never been to this house, knew where to find the entrance to my safe haven. All that my colleagues from the school knew, was that I rented a room in Lisa’s house. A cold tingle of alarm went up my spine, and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, at the thought of him somehow knowing where to find my flat.

I heard him try out the door handle, but I knew that the door wouldn’t budge. I’d locked it before the party began, just to keep any nosy people -mostly Carly’s very sweet, but also very curious and trouble making kids- out, and I was now very happy, and relieved, that I’d done that.

There was a sound that indicated he was jiggling the door handle a bit more forcefully than appropriate, but then it was quiet. It sounded like he’d given up. His footsteps started up again and he neared the pantry when the door to the living room was thrown open.

‘Oh, hey, Megan.’ Jeffrey said, his voice coloured with disappointment. I’d bet he’d been hoping it was me entering the kitchen. ‘Have you seen Ellie?’

Megan huffed, apparently very annoyed by her inability to locate Chris.

‘I saw her in here a few minutes ago. You should have run in to her when you followed after her. Did you see Chris?’

‘Um, no, I haven’t, there’s no-one here.’ He sounded flabbergasted by that discovery. And I had to admit that it would be a quite strange experience, expecting to find someone who you’d seen go into a room seconds before, and suddenly they weren’t there, as if they’d gone up in smoke.

A nervous chuckle threatened to escape me when the thought of their clueless expressions flashed before my mind’s eye. To my slightly stressed out mind, it was very funny. In an attempt to smother any sounds, I pressed my face into Chris’ shirt, my shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. In spite of my trying to be quiet, a soft sound escaped me.

Suddenly, Chris’ went rigid and his hand covered the back of my head, pushing my face more tightly against his cotton clad, toned chest.

‘Shh.’ He hissed, as quietly as he could. I stiffened and held my breath, covering my mouth with my hands, when there was a silence outside the pantry door.  _O_ _h, shit._

‘Did you hear that?’ Megan asked.

‘Hear what?’ Jeffrey asked, clueless.

‘I thought I heard something.’ She whispered.

Then the door to the living room was thrown open again.

‘Hey, guys!’ Came Scott’s misleadingly jovial voice. ‘Whatcha doin’ here?’ I could hear an undertone of suspicion leak through in his happy-go-lucky intonation.

‘Oh, just looking for something to drink.’ I had to give it to Megan, she thought quick on her feet.

‘Ah, so was I. I’m here to get some more coke and beers.’ There was the sound of the fridge being opened. ‘Here, help me carry this to the drinks table.’

‘Um, okay.’ Said Jeffrey, who had apparently been handed beverages. His foot steps disappeared into the living room.

Yay, one gone, one to go. By the sound of it, Megan was going to be leaving the kitchen soon, too.

Or not…

‘Hmmm. Nobody told me that Chris had such a tall, handsome brother. I wish I’d known about that sooner, because, I think I like the looks of you much better.’ Came Megan’s suddenly sultry voice. I could feel Chris, who had been relaxing a bit when the two outside the pantry door had been distracted by Scott, go rigid again at this display of a complete lack of decency by the woman who was my colleague. I could almost feel the anger roll off of him and suddenly understood a bit more about why he’d gone nuclear on me, earlier. When every other person you met, while living your life, was out to better themselves through you or your family, like what was happening now, how could you not become jaded?

I couldn’t believe what Megan was doing. Was she really hitting on Scott now that she had been robbed of the chance to cosy up to Chris?!  _What the actual fuck?_

‘Yeah, no. Sorry, lady, you ain’t my type.’ Came Scott’s slightly annoyed voice. It sounded like Megan was overstepping boundaries, big time.

‘What? why not?’ Oh, dear, the woman was not happy, being rebuked by yet another Evans man. ‘I can’t imagine that that short shrimp with the questionable fashion sense would be more your type. You need a  _real_ woman, not some skinny, emotionally stunted, old spinster.’

A shiver went through me as I went cold from the viciousness in her voice while she verbally tore my appearance to shreds. I knew I shouldn’t let it get to me, but it was just so shocking to personally hear what someone said about me behind my back.

‘Excuse you?! Did you really just insult our family friend, my friend, to my face? In my own mother’s house, where you are attending her birthday party? I must say that either you’re a very, very toxic person, or you’re a very, very clueless one.’ Scott sounded furious.

‘Ugh, you can’t be serious that that pathetic excuse for a woman floats your boat.’ Megan’s voice was taking on a disgusted tone as she was, cluelessly, pushing Scott to his breaking point.

‘The only pathetic excuse for a woman under this roof is you.’ Scott spat back viciously. ‘And, yes, if I were straight, a woman like that would most definitely  _float my boat_  as you so eloquently put it. But, as I am as gay as they come, she is not for me.’ There was a short silence where I could hear Megan gasp for air from being taken down a peg, or two, by Scott.

‘Well, I have never…’ She started to speak, but was rudely interrupted by Scott.

‘Oh, shut up, you hag.’ There was a sudden tone of glee in Scott’s voice. Then there was a soft knock on the door to the pantry.

My eyes widened at hearing the sound. Chris let out a soft expletive. It sounded both exasperated and resigned.

‘What?’ I breathed as I looked up, trying to find his face in the darkness. It was no use.

‘I know whose  _boat_  she does  _float_ , though.’ I heard Scott suddenly say, his tone was positively evil. ‘So, how about you help me carry the bags of chips to the snacks table? They’re in the pantry, behind this door.’  _Wait, what? What is happening?_

‘I’m gonna kiss you now. Sorry. Blame Scott.’ Chris said quickly, half a second before the hand on the back of my head slid to the side of my face, to cup my jaw, and tilt my head up.

_What?!_

Before I could ask him what the  _fuck_ he thought he was doing, his lips captured mine in a soft and gentle kiss, only seconds before the door to the pantry was pulled open. My hands had flown up to grab the shirt on his chest in reflex, and his hand -the one that wasn’t cupping my face- was now resting on my lower back, pulling me into him as he kissed me with a gentleness that left me reeling and which burnt away every objection that was being spewed forward by my offended and confused psyche. His lips were soft and stood in sensual contrast to the slight raspiness of his stubble, which rubbed titillatingly against the sensitive skin that surrounded my lips. It sent small shocks of delight down my spine. A small, involuntary sound ripped itself from my throat and goosebumps formed on my arms. The sound caused Chris to tighten his arms around me and answer with a soft groan himself.

As if from far away, I heard a feminine gasp of shock, followed by a loud chuckle from Scott.

‘See.’ He said, gleefully. ‘My small queer rainbow glitter fairy is not as unattractive to the male part of our civilisation as you think. It looks to me like she’s doing great, hooking up with one of the finest specimens our species has brought forth, according to every media outlet in the world. And he most certainly doesn’t seem to mind her attentions.’

Chris ended the kiss at that very moment with a soft peck to my lips, and lifted his head to gaze at the two people standing outside the pantry. He was breathing a bit more heavily than he’d been before and his eyes glittered darkly. I blinked owlishly up at him for a few seconds, stunned by what had just happened, and then followed his gaze to Scott, who had a highly amused expression on his face, and Megan, who was gaping like a fish at the scene in front of her; her expression incredulous, as if her brain couldn’t compute what her eyes were seeing.

The door to the living room swung open again, admitting a confused looking Jeffrey.

‘Hey, Megan, I can’t find…’ He fell quiet when he saw me standing in the pantry, being held by Chris. ‘What is going on here?’ He suddenly sounded very pissed off; puffing up his chest and frowning at the way Chris and I were standing.

Apparently his appearance was enough to snap Megan out of her daze.

‘You!’ She screeched at me. I took a step back, out of Chris’ embrace, and turned to her, raising my eyebrows in surprise at her hysterical reaction. ‘You. fucking.  _slut!_  You stole him from me! You… you, whore! With your stupid sad eyes and your conniving ways and deceptive innocence. I see right through you! You just couldn’t let me have him, could you?!’

I looked up at her -when you added her high heels to her five foot eight height, she was almost as tall as Chris and Scott- with wide eyes.

‘What?’ I said, completely blown away by her outrageous claims. Now I was the one left gaping like a fish, while the other woman viciously tore into me, verbally.

‘Don’t you act all innocent with me! You planned this from the moment you learnt that Carly was his sister! Making friends with her. Worming your way into his mother’s house like you did! And now you got to him! You stole him from  _me!_  You don’t really think he really wants you, do you? With your skinny ass and your tiny tits? How could he be ever interested in you for anything more than a pity fuck, when he could have his pick of the most beautiful women in the world? When he could have all this?’ She gestured at her own body as she bared her teeth at me aggressively. ‘He was only kissing you because he knew you were going to be an easy lay, you know that, right?’

I was completely mute from shock. I wanted to have a witty retort to the verbal poison that the woman was spouting, but I was paralysed and could only stare at her as she went on and on. From the corner of my eye, I could see that both Chris and Scott were as flabbergasted by her behaviour as I was.

‘You’ve ruined everything! You bitch!’ Megan spat at me and before I could process what was happening, a crippling pain exploded across the left side of my face. She’d punched me with the full force of her fist, which had quite a lot of power behind it, if you took into account her being a P.E. teacher and a gym addict. Add that to the height and weight she had on me and I wasn’t surprised that I was going down like a sac of potatoes. I half spun on my axes from the force of the blow and went down, hitting my head on the edge of one of the shelves in the pantry before crumpling to the floor; black spots forming in front of my eyes when the two blows to my head caused me to almost black out from the intense pain ricocheting through my brain.

From far away I heard loud bellows from the Evans brothers as they reacted to the assault I was under. Through my eyelashes I saw how Scott grabbed Megan and pulled her back from diving onto me to keep on punching me. Chris was kneeling next to me, cradling my face in his hands. I distractedly noticed that he looked very worried. He seemed to be talking to me, but I couldn’t make out any words. It was all garbled nonsense; sounding like I was listening to someone talking under water. It was a very weird experience. Which I would have found funnier if my head wasn’t hurting so badly.

I saw Chris shouting something into the direction of the living room. I was still not making out anything else than warped sounds. Chris pulled his hand away from my face and his face contorted in horror when it came back bloody. Oh, shit. Was I bleeding?!

 

Then, Carly was suddenly kneeling on my other side. Where did she come from? Had I blacked out for a moment? Chris was still on my other side, talking hurriedly into a phone. Where did the phone come from? I looked up and saw Lisa standing at my feet, being hugged by Shanna. Both looked so frightened as they gazed down at me. I tried to smile at them to ease their worries, but I could only manage a painful grimace. Everything still felt like I was cushioned in jello. As if I wasn’t really there. In spite of the pain in my head.

Sucking in a gasping breath, I tried to move my hand to my head, to feel the wound that was still trickling blood from just above my temple.

That movement was the trigger that caused the world to come back into focus for me. Suddenly there was a barrage of sounds and light invading my senses; the pain in my head intensifying by about a hundred. I must have been half out of it in the minutes after my fall, because it felt like waking from a dream, where everything had been fuzzy around the edges, even the pain, into a nightmare, where my brain was being drilled into by thousands of knives.

‘Ow. Fuck.’ I groaned, my hand coming up to grasp my forehead.

Carly leaned forward, taking my hand in hers before I could touch my head.

‘Careful there, hon, you’ve got quite the dent in that hard head of yours. You were in and out of consciousness for the past ten minutes. Chris dialled an ambulance. They’re almost here.’

‘Shit.’ I croaked. This was not how I had imagined my birthday going. As far as birthdays went, this one sucked. Which I proceeded to tell Carly.

‘It’ll be okay, Ellie. We’ll have you checked out at the hospital and then we’ll take you home and we’ll celebrate it tomorrow, with just the nine of us.’

‘No, tomorrow is Christmas. Can’t ruin Christmas for the kids.’ I protested; wondering how weird it was that I was concerned about that at a time like this. My head was pounding and I was having trouble focussing. Which might be why I just grabbed onto that train of thought. It helped me ground myself in the moment.

Carly nodded, her expression concerned.

‘Okay, then we’ll celebrate it the day after tomorrow. We can use the leftovers from Christmas for your birthday dinner.’ She tried to joke.

‘Cheapskate.’ I whispered, as the edges of my vision darkened. ‘Oh shit.’

‘What?’ Carly sounded alarmed.

‘Gonna pass ou…’ Everything went blessedly, painlessly, black.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but my OCs and this storyline.
> 
> I make no money from this story.
> 
> This is my Cevans Sandbox! :D Whoooohoooooo!

**Chapter 5**

 

I’d like to say that everything was still blessedly painless and quiet when I woke up, but it wasn’t. I became aware of a half whispered, half spoken out loud argument, before I even opened my eyes.

‘Look, man, how was I supposed to know you thought it was a good idea to kiss her the moment I opened the door? I was just trying to get that witch to understand that you weren’t interested in the likes of her and I thought her finding you two cosied up in the pantry was the way to do it. It isn’t my fault that you panicked.’ That was Scott.

‘Well, you didn’t leave me much choice, did you? I had to think on my feet, and I had the same idea as you. Get her to back off by showing her, _by pretending_ , that my interests lay somewhere else. How was I supposed to know she’d go nuclear on Ellie? It all happened so fast, I didn’t even register that hit until it was too late.’ Ah, Chris was here, too.

‘Oh, my god. That was so fucking selfish of you! Using my friend to get another woman to back off from pursuing you? Did you even ask her if she wanted to be kissed? Did she give you any indication that she’d be interested in a kiss? Or did you just dive in, like the big, insensitive oaf that you are?!’ Carly butted into the argument. She must have read on Chris’ face that it had been the latter and that set her off again. ‘I can’t believe you, Chris! You fucking moron! And you! I expected more of you, Scott! Putting her in a position like that! What were you thinking?!’ She sounded furious with her brothers.

‘I thought it would be funny, okay! I’d open the door, and that witch would see them together, and she’d storm off, angry, dragging away that Jeffrey creep -who had been perving on my rainbow fairy all afternoon, by the way. You should have seen the looks he sent her way when she wasn’t paying attention. It was quite disturbing-. Taking him with her when she left. Two birds, one stone, and we’d all laugh about it later.’ Scott sounded very defensive.

Their sharp whispers and low voices cut through my abused brain like a thousand burning swords, making me groan in discomfort.

‘Guys, if you could take your guilt fest somewhere else, instead of here, that would be great, thanks.’ I croaked; my own voice setting off even more of the pain receptors in my head and I hissed as I touched the bandage patch that now covered the cut above my right temple. That was going to be sore for a while. Just like the left side of my face, which felt swollen and stingy when I moved my facial muscles.

Carly was by my side in a second, taking my hand in hers.

‘Ellie! You’re awake! How are you feeling?’ In her enthusiasm she spoke out loud and caused the pain in my head to increase with a vengeance.

I winced and squinted my eyes at her. Thankfully the lights in the room were low enough that they didn’t hurt my head.

‘Too loud.’ Was all I said.

She grimaced and nodded.

‘Right, sorry.’ Her voice was down to a whisper. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Like I lost a fight with a P.E. teacher.’ I wryly joked. ‘Where are we?’ As I gazed around the room, I concluded that it looked very much like we had arrived at a hospital while I was out. The soft beeps that came from behind me and the IV-drip that was attached to my hand only confirmed my suspicions. But instead of on a ward, they’d put me in a private room. It looked luxurious. 

Wait… Shit… I couldn’t afford this! My medical benefits didn’t cover this. I started to panic. It was way too expensive for me to be here!

‘We’re at the Concord Private Medical Centre. The ambulance brought you here. Don’t you remember?’ Carly said, looking at me worriedly.

I shook my head, being careful to not aggravate it any further; I didn’t remember a thing.

‘I can’t stay here.’ I hoarsely said. ‘It’s too expensive, I can’t afford this.’ Trying to sit up, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I helplessly fell back into the pillows that were supporting my back. It didn’t stop me from trying to get up again, though. Behind me, I could hear the heart monitor start to beep faster, in sync with my heartbeat. I looked up at Carly, pleadingly. ‘I really can’t stay here. I’ll be paying off bills until I’m eighty.’

That’s when Chris, who had been leaning against the wall by the door, arms crossed in front of his broad chest, decided to butt in.

‘Don’t worry about that. I’m shouldering the costs. You just focus on getting better.’ 

My gaze flew to his, I was flabbergasted by his statement.

‘What? No! I can’t accept that. It’s too much!’ It made me very uncomfortable to be indebted to anyone. I didn’t even own a credit card, let alone that I’d accept that someone I hardly knew would be paying my medical bills.

Chris frowned, clearly not agreeing with me.

‘Of course you can. Just see it as me apologising for getting you into this terrible situation. It’s my fault that you’re here.’ When he saw the hesitation on my face, he added, ‘You won’t owe me anything, Ellie. I’m paying for your medical expenses, because I’m responsible for your treatment being needed in the first place, and that’s final.’ 

Carly squeezed my hand comfortingly and I looked back at her after having a stare off with Chris. It was clear that he wasn’t going to let this go. 

‘Don’t worry, Ellie. Everything’s taken care of.’ Carly quietly said. ‘Now, let’s see if we can find a doctor who can tell us more about your injuries. They wouldn’t tell us anything until you were awake, because we’re not relatives.’ She stood up after letting go of my hand, walking out the door in search of a medical professional.

I felt a soft touch on my left shoulder and turned to where Scott had been silently sitting at my left side. He smiled at me compassionately, his sharp eyes searching my face for any sign of discomfort.

‘Hey there, rainbow fairy.’ He whispered. ‘You gave us quite a scare, earlier.’

I hummed and blinked, trying to keep as still as possible, because that way my head caused me the least amount of pain.

‘How long was I out for?’

‘Well, I don’t know if you were conscious while you were in the ambulance, because only one person was allowed to go along, and Carly insisted that it should be her, riding with you, but when we arrived at the hospital, they told us that you were unconscious and they were doing tests on you. They took X-rays, and then even a CT-scan, after Chris insisted on it… 

‘If my calculations are correct, you’ve been out for about seventy minutes. We’d been in the room with you for only about ten minutes before you woke up.’

My gaze traveled back to Chris, who was still leaning against the wall furthest from my bed. He was staring at the ground with a frown on his face. I couldn’t shake the impression that he was trying to avoid looking at me at all costs. Was he feeling that bad about what had happened? 

‘Why would you do that? Why would you insist on a CT-scan?’ I asked him, trying to keep the hoarse croak out of my voice. It started to annoy me that I sounded like that and cleared my throat. Or, tried to, because the sound aggravated my headache again. Ugh, I needed a glass of water to wash away the bad taste in my mouth, preferably accompanied by a shitload of painkillers to fight the pounding headache.

Chris looked up from where he’d been studiously staring at the linoleum floor. He swallowed and shrugged halfheartedly, his gaze on the heart monitor behind me, artfully avoiding looking me in the eye.

‘I, uh, I wanted to make sure that you didn’t have any head trauma due to your banging your head on that shelf. And if you did, that they would catch it as soon as possible and treat you accordingly. It was quite a hard fall you took, earlier. You were very out of it and vert confused just after you’d hit your head. I was worried that something was wrong inside your brain.’

‘Disorientation and confusion are all very normal symptoms after someone hits their head. Especially if the person has a concussion because of it.’ Came a female voice from the door opening. Ah, it looked like Carly had located a doctor. 

The woman was holding a brown folder in her hands as she stepped into the room, followed by Carly.

‘Hello, ms Severins, I’m doctor Peterson.’ She said, holding out her hand for me to shake. I took it and answered her firm grip with one of my own. I saw the corner of her mouth tip up at this as she nodded at me. Then she turned to the other occupants of the room.

‘If you’d be so kind to leave the room for a few moments, please, I have to examine my patient.’ She said, in a friendly, but stern, tone of voice.

Carly, Scott and Chris filed out of the room, the latter closing the door behind him.

Doctor Peterson did all the standard tests. Checking my reflexes and then shining a light into my eyes, which made me cringe from the stinging pains it sent to my brain.

‘Okay.’ She said when she was done and had opened the brown folder she’d been carrying. ‘Well, it looks like you were one lucky lady, ms Severins. Everything here points to nothing more than a medium to light concussion. There were no abnormalities in the CT-scan and the X-rays revealed that there are no fractures in your skull. Due to your unconsciousness when we brought you in this afternoon, we’re going to keep you here for the night, just for observation. To be sure we didn’t miss something. If all goes well, you’ll be out of here first thing in the morning.’ She smiled at me and I managed to give her a half smile back. Okay, maybe it was more of a grimace. My face hurt like a bitch.

‘Oh, there’s just one more thing.’ She said, turning back to me, her face serious.

‘Oh, okay?’ I said, wondering what she wanted.

‘That bruise and swelling on your cheek, they’re not from the fall, are they?’

‘Um, no. Someone hit me. With their full fist. Hard.’ I explained.

Doctor Peterson raised an eyebrow at me.

‘It’s not often that a woman admits that to me when in similar circumstances as these.’ Surprise coloured her voice. I looked at her uncomprehendingly and she gazed back at me with a meaningful expression on her face.

Then it suddenly occurred to me what she was saying. Or asking.

‘Oh.’ I said. ‘Oh, no. It wasn’t any of them.’ I waved at where the three Evans’ siblings had left the room. ‘It was someone who crashed my birthday party and she wasn’t happy that she got rejected by not one, but both of the Evans brothers. She threw a tantrum and I just got caught in the crossfire.’ I thought that leaving out the real reason for the crossfire was for the best.

‘She? That must have been one strong woman, then.’ Doctor Peterson’s eyebrows were almost up into her hairline.

I nodded.

‘Yeah, she’s a P.E. teacher who likes going to the gym. She’s one of those ‘fit is the new skinny’ enthusiasts. and she has about seven inches and sixty pounds on me.’

‘Ah.’ An amused smile played over the doctor’s face. Then she sobered. ‘Well, I hope you’re going to press charges, because I wasn’t kidding when I said you were lucky. If you’d hit your head only a few inches lower, we wouldn’t have been here, having this conversation. She could have killed you.’ She was silent for a few seconds as she let that sink in. I let out a shuddering breath at the realisation that my thirty-eighth birthday had been very close to being my last birthday.

_‘Shit’_ I whispered to myself, eyes wide, staring down at my hands.

Then the doctor continued,

‘We have all your injuries photographed and documented right here, at the hospital, if the police or prosecutors have need for it. Just let us know if you’re sending them our way, okay?’

‘Okay.’ I breathed; still reeling from the information that she’d just disclosed.

‘Alright, then I’ll wish you a pleasant night and I’ll see you in the morning.’

‘Thank you, you too.’ I answered automatically.

Scott, Carly and Chris reentered the room when the doctor left. She nodded at them and told them to keep it short and let the patient get her rest.

Which they did. After a few last goodbyes and warm hugs from all three Evanses, I was left alone in the large hospital room. 

Right. Time to get some rest. I laid back in my pillows and closed my eyes, hoping that a nurse would be by soon, preferably with some good painkillers to shut up the goblin that was pounding away at my brain with an axe.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A race and a conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own my OCs and the storyline you don’t recognise.
> 
> I make no money from this story.
> 
> This is my Sandbox. I like building castles. :)

Chapter 6

 

‘ **No**! You mother _fucking_ _asshole_! **Stop it!** ’ I yelled at the man who was running behind me. ‘ _Rhaaaaaaaahhhhrrrrgggghhh_!’ The cry of fear left my body at the same time I saw my life flash in front of my eyes, as a concrete wall approached me with dizzying speed; the crash was only averted because my wheelchair was corrected in its course and we flew around a corner.

Scott laughed maniacally from where he was pushing me, and only increased his speed as he gripped the handlebars of the wheelchair tighter and hurled himself along the corridors of the hospital, leaving startled people who were unfortunate enough to find themselves in the corridor, in his wake. In our wake. I was clinging to the wheelchair, screaming my head off when yet another corner was cut so tightly that it almost ejected me from the chair-turned-torture-device.

Behind us, I could hear another pair of running feet and the squeaks from the wheels of another wheelchair as our pursuers flew around the corner after us, gaining ground.

‘Put those ridiculous muscles of yours to work, you _feckin’ slacker_!’ Screeched Carly from her seat in the chair. ‘We can crush them!’

Chris, who was pushing her chair, grunted at his sister in irritation.

‘You’re fuckin’ heavy.’ I heard him bite out.

‘Oh! You did _not just say that!_ ’ Came Carly’s indignant reply, her voice reaching new levels of screechy sharpness.

Not for the first time, I wondered how I had ended up in the position I was in.

Not eight minutes earlier, I had been quietly packing my pyjamas and toiletries into the small overnight bag that Lisa had brought over, just before I fell asleep the night before. It had been a restless night, with a nurse waking me up every hour, on the hour, to make sure that I hadn’t slipped into a coma. Finally, when it had been seven in the morning, the doctor had come to see me, and I got the all clear to sleep a few more hours, undisturbed this time. The restful second part of my night and the painkillers that I’d taken when I’d woken up, resulted in me feeling almost back to normal. Or, as normal as I could feel with one side of my face being swollen and black and blue.

Seeing that it was Christmas Day, the hospital was manned by a skeleton crew. It was more quiet than usual, and they didn’t need my room for any new patients, so they had let me sleep until two in the afternoon. Something that I was very grateful for.

When I’d been finished packing, a nurse had entered my room with a wheelchair, which was meant to transport me safely from my room to whichever car was waiting for me. She had been followed in by three of the four Evans siblings. Scott, Carly, and Chris had come to pick me up and take me home. All three were dressed in horrid christmas sweaters, which made me laugh out loud when they showed then to me by opening their coats.

Then it had been time to go.

I had signed all the release forms, Scott had shouldered my bag, and the nurse had manoeuvred me into the wheelchair.

And that’s when everything became a bit hazy. Before I knew it, Scott had wrestled the chair away from the nurse as he bellowed a challenge to his brother. Something about a... race?

Chris had not hesitated to accept; hauling Carly behind him to an empty wheelchair that was parked in the hospital corridor.

Which brought me to this exact moment in time. I was very seriously contemplating my life choices as another corner was cut short and my arse flew up from the seat, only to painfully land on it again as Scott righted the chair and continued running at full speed towards the automatic doors of the hospital exit. I cried out in fright and pulled up my legs, feet forward, to help stop my momentum if we crashed, but, thankfully, Scott slowed down slightly, and the doors opened just in time to let us through. I sagged in the chair in relief.

Finally, the dizzying ride came to an end when Scott rolled me up to the side of an expensive looking, black SUV with tinted windows. I was panting, both from exertion and the adrenaline rush, and sending thanks out into the universe for it allowing me to survive the consequences of this crazy competitive vibe that the Evans siblings apparently had going on. Behind us, Chris and Carly also came to a stop; Carly complaining about weakling younger brothers who couldn’t even outrun the baby of the family.

‘What... the... fu... _dge_ , Scott?!’ I clambered out of my wheelchair and stood on unsteady legs, my equilibrium completely off, thanks to the grinning blond giant standing proudly behind the chair.

Scott laughed elatedly at my indignant admonishment, not noticing the effort it took me to stay upright. In spite of the painkillers, and the enormous amount of sleep I’d had, the blow I’d received to my head still gave me dizzy spells.

‘ _What?_ ’ He had the gall to ask, beaming at me with his stupid face, looking as innocent as the day he was born. ‘We won.’

Gripping on to the armrest of the chair, I leaned on it heavily and frowned at him, feeling the stitches at my hairline pull uncomfortably, and wondered wat had come over him. Had he lost his marbles overnight? Was it because it was Christmas? Then I remembered his Halloween pranks. And Thanksgivi... Nope. Not remembering that disaster... Ah. So, it must be certain holidays that made him slightly... deranged?

‘Are you okay?’ I heard Chris asking from beside me as he gently took hold of my upper arm; preventing me from keeling over. It sounded like his voice came from far away as I fought a dizzy spell.

‘Hm?’ I must have made a confused impression, because, before I knew it, my legs were lifted from the ground, and I felt myself fall backwards against a strong arm, as Chris picked me up, bridal style. ‘ _What_ are you doing?’ I asked, flabbergasted. Looking up into his face, I could see that he had a worried expression on his face.

‘You looked like you were about to faint. You’re very pale.’ He said, tightening his arms around me and hoisting me higher against his well toned chest. I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t do anything for me, because, _sheesh_... greek god proportions.

‘Yeah, well, l _did_ get pummeled into the ground by _Bodybuilder Barbie_ , yesterday.’ Sarcasm dripped from my voice as I pointed at my face. I saw how the corners of Chris’ mouth turned up in appreciation of my denomination for said woman. ‘And then your brainless brother thought, _hey, let’s put patched-up-Ellie in a wheelchair and challenge my troglodite of a brother to a streetrace!_ ’ I said in a low, rumbly voice. ‘And then your sister joined in, too, because, apparently, everyone in your family goes _berserk_ for a competition. I saw my life flash in front of my eyes a couple of times. No wonder I’m having difficulty staying upright. Couple of arses you are!’

‘ _Oh, shit_. Ells, I’m so sorry.’ Scott exclaimed. ‘Are you okay?’ He laid a hand on my shoulder and bent over to peer into my face, a repentant look in his eyes.

‘Bit late for that, don’t you think?’ I sighed, shaking my head. ‘What _were_ you _thinking?_ ’

Scott groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

‘I don’t know, my rainbow fairy. It’s gotta be all that egg-nog. Makes me a bit... hare-brained. I’m sorry.’

‘I don’t think it’s _just_ the egg-nog, Scotty-boy. That bottle of wine at lunch also went down very easily, if I recall correctly.’ Chris teasingly said to his brother. Then, he turned his attention to me, ‘I’m _very_ sorry that we fucked up and scared you with that impromptu race. _And_ I think it’s time to get you home. I’m the designated driver for the day. Haven’t had a drop.’ His sudden seriousness reassured me more than I’d have thought possible after having been subjected to the fallout of the Evans sibling rivalry.

‘Good for you.’ Wrinkling my nose, I realised something. ‘So, if you’re not ‘drunk’, what’s your excuse for being so... Hare-brained, as your brother called it?’

‘Oh, um, well... Let’s just say, I have a hard time turning down a challenge from my little brother. Call it brotherly rivalry.’ Grimacing, Chris continued, ‘But, I wasn’t the only one, I mean, Carly...’

‘Carly is three sheets to the wind, thank you very much.’ The woman in question argued, her tongue tripping up on a few words. ‘I’m not accountable for _anything_ that happens at Christmas. Especially not if _you_ two are involved, my dear brothers, you know that.’ She stuck a hand, with two fingers straight, and three bent, into the air. ‘I seem to remember a certain Christmas in our teens, when you two...’ Whatever she was going to say, I’d never know, because a suddenly very flustered Scott appeared at her side, and clapped a hand over her mouth, muffling the rest of that sentence.

He cleared his throat and sent me a panicky look. Which made me very, very curious. I sent him a meaningful look in return, telling him that I’d drill him for that story later. He looked away, cheeks red.

‘Um, yes, well, let’s _not_ rehash our Christmases past, shall we?’

Carly turned her head away from her brother’s hand, freeing her mouth; huffing at her brother’s behaviour.

‘You guys better get me home safe, or mom’s gonna be so mad at you!’ Standing up from her wheelchair, she sprinted around her brothers and Ellie, and quickly climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV. ‘ _ **Shotgun!**_ ’ She yelled, and triumphantly slammed the door closed behind her, sticking out her tongue at Scott; something that was almost not visible from behind the tinted window, but I don’t think she realised that in her inebriation.

Sighing, Chris looked to his brother, who had the expression of a man determined to reconquer the seat so cruelly taken from him.

‘Get in the car, Scott.’

‘But...’ Scott looked positively recalcitrant.

‘Get ya ass in the car.’ Chris’ tone didn’t leave any room for protests.

Oops, it looked like the elder of the brothers was fed up with both his siblings’ behaviours.

Grumbling, Scott slid into the car, behind Carly, folding his long legs so they fit behind the passenger seat, and closing the door.

I chuckled at the scowl Chris sported as he carried me to the driver’s side of the car.

‘I’m not _that_ heavy am I?’ I joked, trying to ease the tension I felt in his body.

He looked at me, seemingly startled.

‘What?... No. I have _dumbells_ heavier than you.’ He didn’t loosen up; still very solemn.

_Um... Oh-kay..._

‘So, why the frown, then?’ I tilted my head, trying to discover why his mood changed so suddenly.

‘Oh, I was thinking about how irresponsible our behaviour was, just now. Someone could have gotten hurt. You could have been worse off than you are now, if Scott had crashed.’ He was really beating himself up over their temporary lapse in judgment. So much so, even, that I felt the need to lift a bit of that burden from his shoulders.

‘ _Could have_... That’s a dangerous combination of words... Isn’t it?’ I remarked.

Raising his eyebrows at me, Chris stopped walking when we were passing behind the SUV.

‘How so?’ He asked, sounding genuinely surprised by my words.

‘Could have. It encompasses all the things that never were. All the things we didn’t do. All the things that didn’t happen. All the experiences we didn’t have. Whether they be good or bad. It doesn’t do any good to linger on what never was, Chris. You’ll drive yourself round the bend if you get stuck in that mindset. It has the power to paralyse even the strongest of people. Be happy that nothing bad happened today, and move on. I told you, and your brother and sister, that I wasn’t happy with what you did. You guys apologised. It’s okay. No hard feelings.’ I shrugged and smiled at him, trying to show him that I meant it.

He looked flummoxed as he gazed down at me; his mouth opening and closing a few times before he managed to speak.

‘ _Are you for real?_ ’ His tone was almost a whisper.

What was he on about?

‘Um, yes?’ I shrugged again. ‘I don’t know how to be anything else, to be honest.’ The joke fell short when throwing him a wink made me cringe. I’d forgotten about the stitches in my skin. ‘ _Ouch_. I really shouldn’t do any winking or frowning in the coming days.’ I remarked. My hand went to the wound at my hairline; fingers touching the bandage that covered it. In spite of the painkillers I was on, it still hurt like a mofo when I touched it, or when I used my upper facial muscles too much.

‘Are you okay? Did you pull one of your stitches?’ Chris gently set me down on my feet and I leaned back against the car. His hands went to the bandage, hovering over it. His expression was indecisive; as if he wanted to help, but had no idea how to.

I sent him a small smile.

‘It’s _fine_ , Chris. I just forgot that they were there, that’s all.’

‘Oh, okay.’ He bit his lower lip as he gazed down at me, his gaze puzzled, as if he was trying to figure something out. Somehow it caused my cheeks to heat up slightly. Then, almost as fast as it had appeared, the moment was gone, and a crooked smile appeared on his face.

‘What?’ I asked, trying not to frown in confusion at his sudden amusement. No need to aggravate the wound on my head any more that I already had.

His blue eyes twinkled with mirth.

‘You really _are_ tiny, aren’t you?’

Grumbling, I gently slapped his upper abdomen with the back of my hand in retalliation. My eyes widened in surprise. _Ouch_

‘Sheesh, what do you have under that shirt? A tonne of bricks?!’

A deep chuckle rumbled up from his chest before he tilted his head; his smile filled with heat. I fought a shiver when he answered.

‘Wanna find out?’

 _Oh, Hell_... Time to get my wits together, othewise I wouldn’t survive this Christmas. _Heh, Chris-mas... Oh, shut up!_

I hummed at his question.

‘Oh, you _wish_!’ My retort was slighly breathless, and I kicked myself mentally for that show of weakness. Urgh... ‘After what happened in that cupboard, yesterday, I’d say we need to have a talk about consent first.’ _Boom! Take that, you charming bastard!_

Seeing how his expression turned a bit sour, I suppressed a chuckle. He tilted his head, and brought his hand up to his neck and scratched it, looking almost like a small, chastised boy. Almost. It was cute and all, but I wouldn’t let myself be distracted by flexing muscles. I _wouldn’t_. Really.

‘Yeah, about that... I’m sorry. I panicked...’ His voice trailed off and he looked away from me.

‘Alright, how about we continue this conversation when we get home? This here isn’t the place, nor time, to go into depth about that. And it’s _Christmas_. I, for one, would love some hot chocolate and a quiet afternoon on the sofa. Maybe watch a Christmas movie. Have a chat with your mum. You know, the usual things one does at Christmas; vegetating after overeating.’

That pulled another chuckle from him. Nodding, he smiled; visibly relieved that I’d averted the uncomfortable conversation for a few more hours.

‘Sounds great. Let’s do that.’

He opened the car door for me, and I climbed into the high seat, feeling even shorter than I already was. Everything about this car was big.

 _Compensating much?_  My eyes widened slightly in reaction to the visual my brain happily provided.

 _Oh, shit..._ Nope, I wasn’t going there...

After I’d buckled the seatbelt, Chris closed the door, and slid behind the wheel.

Starting the car, he put it in drive, and we were off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want, leave feedback for the muse. Kudos are also very much appreciated. :D
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a happy-go-lucky Christmassy chapter... Not in time, but, hey, it’s still December, right? :P
> 
> Happy belated Christmas, everyone! ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy reading! :)
> 
> I don’t own a thing you recognise. The rest is mine to keep. 
> 
> This is my Sandbox.

Chapter 7

 

Monday, 25 December, 2017, 08:36 pm, Sudbury, Ma.

 

After enjoying a lovely and lavish Christmas dinner, prepared by Lisa, Shanna, and Carly, I found myself comfortably nestled into a corner of the large lounge couch in the living room, my legs propped up on the sofa where it extended into a chaise longue, and a soft, fluffy blanket covering me from chest to toes, making me feel toasty warm and lazily comfy. I hadn’t been allowed to help with clearing the dishes, and I had been escorted out of the dining room and into the living room by Lisa, who had installed me on the couch, wrapping me up in the warm blanket as if she was afraid I’d catch a cold.

I could hear Chris and Scott bickering goodnaturedly in the kitchen, while they unloaded the dishwasher, and put away the clean dishes; followed by loading the dishwasher with the last of the dirty plates, glasses, and bowls.

About half an hour earlier, Carly and her husband had said their goodbyes and taken their children home to put them to bed. Shanna and her fiancée had left a bit earlier than the eldest of Lisa’s children, at about seven thirty, as they had friends coming over for the evening.

The afternoon and early evening had flown by, with opening christmas presents -with exception of the children, the family had all waited until I came home from the hospital to open their presents-, watching a christmas movie with the little ones, and then dining at the large dinner table with the entirety of the Evans clan. Never in my life had I felt as included in a family as I had in the warmth and joy of Lisa and her children. It had brought tears to my eyes to realise that they went out of their way to make me feel like one of them. There had even been as many presents for me as there had been for the other adults, in spite of me having had a birthday the day before, and not really belonging to the family.

My thoughts drifted back to the afternoon, after Scott, Carly, Chris, and I had arrived home from the hospital. We had almost been finished with exchanging presents when, suddenly, Chris had sat down next to me, clutching three wrapped boxes in his arms. A larger one and two smaller ones.

‘So...’ He’d said; clearly feeling a bit sheepish.

‘So?’ I’d asked, raising my eyebrows at his hesitation.

‘So, a couple of weeks ago, mom sent me some pictures from when you photographed Carly and her kids at Halloween, and also a few photographs you took of the New England countryside in the fall... And I think they’re fantastic; you’re a very gifted photographer, Ellie... My mom also told me how you’ve been struggling to keep your old photo-gear alive long enough to tide you over until you’ve saved up for a new camera and lenses...’ Chris had taken a deep breath before he’d continued and handed me the largest of the presents. ‘I had already bought these before my dreadful behaviour of yesterday morning, so, please don’t think that I got you these to get on your good side, or to buy you off or something, okay? It’s just, you have an incredible talent, and I wanted to do something nice for the little old lady who befriended my mom and helped her out with stuff around the house.’

Snorting at his ‘little-old-lady’ comment, I’d looked down at the present and carefully opened the box and peeked inside. I’m fairly sure that my eyes almost fell out of their sockets when I saw what the box contained. There, surrounded by cushioning packing material, was a box depicting the camera I had only dared to dream about, but had never believed would be mine. It had been so far out of my league -and out of my budget- that the closest I had ever been to it, was when I’d looked at it online. And dreamed of a ‘someday’. Which I had been sure would never come.

I had looked up at Chris, lost for words. He’d nodded at me to open the packaging of the camera, and I had done so; lifting the treasure it held out of its protective shell with shaking hands.

‘You can’t be serious...’ I’d breathed as I looked from the camera to Chris, and back again. ‘This is too much. Chris... I can’t take this... It’s too much...’ Carefully, I’d proceeded to lower the DSLR body back into its casing, with the intention of giving it back to Chris.

Suddenly, my hands, and with them, the camera-body, had been taken into a gentle, but firm grip by a pair of big, warm hands. I’d kept my eyes on the box on my lap, feeling stupid for being so hesitant to accept a gift. I understood that it had been given with the best intentions, but it was just such a staggering amount of money. I didn’t think anyone I knew had ever spent so much on a gift for me, and Chris was someone I had hardly even started to know in the past twenty-four hours.

‘I can’t...’ I started to say, but I’d been interrupted.

‘It’s Christmas. And it’s a gift. And, besides, Santa doesn’t do take-backs.’ The humour in Chris’ voice had also shone from his eyes when I’d looked up to meet his gaze. The kindness and warmth he exuded made me wonder how I could have ever thought him cold, callous, and toxic not two days before.

‘But...’ I’d tried to object, still feeling terribly uneasy about accepting the ridiculously expensive camera.

‘Oh, would ya just take the gift, Ells?! I don’t wanna have to look at his sad puppy-eyes and pained face for the coming two weeks just because you didn’t accept the flippin’ camera you have been drooling over for, oh, how long? I think you mentioned it being more than a year. So, would ya just hurry up and open the rest of your gifts; which undoubtedly hold equally expensive lenses. Fawn over them, thank _Santa_ , and then we can all get on with opening the remainder of the presents, and, after that, have dinner. I’m starving.’ Scott had been quite blunt in his impatience. ‘Trust me, the man is _swimming_ in dough, this present is not even a tiny blip on the radar of his finances...’

Biting my lower lip, I’d chanced a glance at Chris. He’d released my hands, and his expression was tense as he waited for my decision.

Releasing a shuddering breath, and clearing my throat, I’d put down the first box, and opened the other two presents, which, as Scott had predicted, held a zoom-lens and a 50mm fixed lens.

I had to fight a wobble of my chin as I blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. Owning a camera such as the one I held gingerly in my hands, was more than I’d ever dared to hope for, and my emotions were in turmoil.

‘Thank you.’ I’d whispered as I’d wiped at my eyes with my sleeve, not daring to look at the other people in the room.

‘You’re welcome.’ Chris had replied in a low, gentle tone. Another glance at him had told me that he looked relieved that I’d decided to accept the camera. I’d quickly averted my eyes again, not sure what to say after that.

Carly had saved the day, and me from any more awkwardness, by pulling out a new gift from under the Christmas tree and making a show of handing it to her mother, diverting the attention away from where I was sitting on the sofa, holding on to my new camera as if my life depended on it. It had felt like a surreal dream, being surrounded by holiday cheer and joy, and friends who, somehow, had become more like family than the distant cousins and aunts and uncles whom I’d left behind in Europe.

After all gifts had been opened, I’d brought the ones I’d received to my flat, so they wouldn’t be lost or damaged in the chaos of Christmas dinner and the hurricane of holiday mayhem that was the Evans clan.

As the clock slowly moved towards nine pm, I snuggled deeper under my blanket; sinking further into the cushions of the sofa, as I listened to the Evans brothers goofing around in the kitchen; to Lisa admonishing them for being too careless with her good dishes; and to Dodger chiming in with a couple of muffled woofs, which was followed by laughter from all three occupants of the other room.

I must have dozed off in my comfy cocoon, because, the next moment, I was startled into that place between sleeping and awake from the sofa cushions beside me being compressed by a large, heavy body. A muscled arm dropped around my shoulders as a kiss was placed onto the crown of my head.

‘Hey there, Sleeping Beauty.’ Scott’s lips moved against my hair as he quietly spoke the endearment.

I hummed in answer, mumbling something incoherent about being a fairy, not a beauty, and burrowed further into his warm side, keeping my eyes closed. A soft laugh rumbled through the youngest Evans brother’s chest. I felt so very relaxed and was reluctant to completely leave the snuggly limbo I was in.

After dinner I had taken my last dose of painkillers for the day, and I was completely pain free for the first time since the ‘accident’. Thankfully, my head was feeling much better. As were the stitches. They only pulled a bit, now and then, but there was no pain. The large purple bruise on my cheek was still a bit tender, though, even with the painkillers. It had given me trouble all day. With all the holiday cheer and goofy Evans sibling antics around me, I’d laughed and smiled more than I was used to and both my cheeks were slightly cramping up; which didn’t really help with the bruising.

‘You up for watching another movie with Chris and me? Or do you wanna go to bed?’ Scott asked.

Groaning, I sat up, rubbing my eyes and pushing my hair out of my face.

‘I don’ wanna go t’ bed yet.’ My objection was met with a snicker from Scott.

‘Hon, you were dead to the world not three minutes ago. Maybe it’s a better idea for you to go sleep off the past twenty-four hours.’

‘Nah, I’m good.’ I assured him while I tried to suppress a yawn behind my hand. ‘What movie did you guys have in mind?’

‘Well.’ Scott stretched the word. ‘I was thinking the first Captain America movie. Because I’m quite sure that you still haven’t seen any of them. Have you?’ A blush creeped up my neck when I had to admit that it was still on my to do list. After Scott’s last visit, he’d found out that I didn’t really watch many movies, and he’d been appalled when he’d heard I had never seen a Marvel movie. At the time I’d been surprised at his shock, but after the events of the past day, I understood why he’d insisted I watch them. Which I still hadn’t gotten around to. _Oops_...

‘Yeah, I thought so.’ He sent me a admonishing look, and I stuck out my tongue at him. ‘Very _mature_ , hon.’ He teased. ‘Now, in my opinion, watching Captain America as your first foray into the Marvel Universe is better than watching the first Iron Man movie. Not that that isn’t good as well, but this one has my awesome brother in it, so I’m a bit biased. Whadda ya say?’

‘Oh, come on, Scott. You just wanna watch it so you can roast me in front of Ellie.’ Came Chris’ amused voice from the entrance to the kitchen. He was holding a large bowl of popcorn in one hand and clutched the necks of two bottles of beer and a bottle of coke in the other.

A large grin appeared on Scott’s face at this accusation.

‘I have to admit that it’s crossed my mind, but I’ve decided to cut you some slack... Because it’s _Christmas_.’

‘ _Sure_ you will.’ Chris tone dripped with sarcasm as he dropped down onto the sofa next to his brother. ‘I’ve never known you to pass up a chance to roast anyone.’ Putting the bottles down onto the table in front of us, he held out the bowl of popcorn towards me.

I held up a hand to decline the offer.

‘Sorry, I’m still stuffed from dinner, I couldn’t eat another bite.’

Grabbing the popcorn bowl from his brother’s hands, Scott put it on the table next to the bottles. Then he proceeded to stand and pick me up from where I was sprawled on the chaise longue. A squeak escaped my lips as he lifted me from my perch and gingerly placed me onto the sofa next to Chris, while he stretched out his long legs with a joyful groan as he lowered himself into the corner where I had been comfortably ensconced.

‘ _Hey_!’ I exclaimed indignantly. ‘Thief!’

‘Oh, shut up, you’ve hogged the most comfy spot on this couch for long enough.’ Scott shot back at me. ‘Couch hogger!... Besides, this way you can see the tv screen better. Now, hand me my beer, slacker!’

‘Slacker?!’

‘Yeah, while you were snoozing the evening away, all warm and snuggly on the couch, me and Chris were slaving away in the kitchen. Those dishes didn’t just do themselves, you know.’

I sent him an incredulous look.

‘Um, yeah, they did. We have a dish-washer.’

Suddenly, a bottle of beer was thrust past my face and into Scott’s hands.

‘Oh, shut up, you old nag.’ Chris grumbled at his brother. ‘Just start the movie, will ya. I’m growing tired of all that whining about you being the victim here.’ He turned to me, looking at me with sad puppy eyes. ‘It’s _me_ you should feel sorry for; I had to listen to him groan and moan the entire time.’

I patted his knee in mock sympathy, putting on my most sympathetic expression as I turned my body towards him.

‘Oh, _poor_ baby, it must have been so _tough_. Such agony... How ever did you survive?’

Behind me, Scott burst out into laughter.

‘Don’t lose your day job, my rainbow fairy, ‘cause you’re shit at acting.’

I looked back at him.

‘Not as bad as _you_ , though.’ I shot back; no real bite to my voice. Snickering, I ducked out of the way of his fingers trying to poke me in the side in retaliation, slapping at his hands. ‘Stop it.’ Hysterical laughter escaped me when he caught me around the waist and started to tickle me. ‘I... I mean... I mean it... _**Scott**_!’ I cried out his name in a bid for him to quit his attack on my ribs. I’d like to say that I gave as good as I got, but then I’d be lying. My five feet, hundred pound frame was no challenge to the six feet of dense muscle that surrounded my body with steel bands while I was tickled to death, or that’s what it felt like, anyway.

Turning my head I pleadingly looked at a very amused looking Chris.

‘Help me.’ I croaked, before I screeched out a very loud ‘ _ **Please**_?!’ when Scott found another ticklish spot on my side.

Apparently, that was the right thing to say, because within seconds I was sandwiched between the two brothers as they tried to get one over on the other, with me being the collateral. 

By the time we heard a loud clearing of a throat, Chris had his arms wrapped around my upper body as he tried to pull me away from Scott, who had taken a hold of my hips. One of Chris’ socked feet was in Scott’s face, pushing away his brother’s head, and the other was digging into Scott’s armpit, while Scott’s legs were wrapped around his brother’s lower torso, trying to squeeze the air out of him, it seemed. We were sprawled over the length of the sofa, with half of the cushions strewn over the floor.

‘What on _earth_ is going on here?’ Came Lisa’s flabbergasted question.

Both men froze at hearing their mother’s voice. Behind me, I heard a soft ‘ _shit_ ’ come from Chris. A manic giggle escaped me when I realised the compromising position I was in with both of Lisa’s sons. Shit indeed... I could feel how my cheeks flushed in mortification.

Lisa’s head appeared in my field of vision as she came closer and peered at us over the back of the sofa. She looked part amused, and part horrified as she took in the carnage.

‘Do I want to know?’ A raised eyebrow had her sons trying to scramble upright; Scott dropping my legs and sliding away from Chris and I with the speed of a viper, causing Chris to lose his balance and pull me with him as he tumbled from the sofa to the floor. His arms tightened around me to keep me from hitting the floor while he turned his body to catch the brunt of the impact. A groan escaped him when my hip landed on his groin as I followed him down.

I flailed, trying to get out of his grip.

‘Sorry!’ I cried out. If my cheeks got any hotter, my face would spontaneously combust. _Urgh_.

Chris pushed me up without any show of exertion and carefully put me back onto my feet before planting his own feet onto the floor and standing up behind me.

‘ _They_ started it!’ Scott blurted out.

Lisa turned her gaze to her youngest son.

‘Somehow, I doubt that.’ Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head. ‘To me, it looked like my boys were trying to pull apart my tenant, as if she was the fire truck you used to fight over and pulled apart when you were children. Please, tell me it wasn’t what it looked like? Because Ellie is most definitely _not_ a toy. And I believe I raised you better than the way your were behaving just now.’

Stepping forward, I interjected her tirade.

‘Sorry, Lisa, I think we’re all to blame for the situation. We got a bit carried away after all the merry-making of the day. We’ll set the sofa to rights and clean up the mess. And then we’ll watch the movie.’

Her gaze softened when she turned to look at me. Nodding, she sighed.

‘Alright. Just clean this up, and watch your movie. No more destroying the house, or dismembering my tenant. _Understood_?!’ The stern look she sent her sons was not lost on me; it was fierce.

Both of them contritely mumbled something that resembled a ‘Yes, mom.’, and I was very much impressed with her ability to intimidate her sons even when they were adults. I fought to suppress a snicker and succeeded. No reason to aggravate the situation any further.

‘Good. Now, I’m off to bed. Good night.’ With that, she turned away, and made her way to the hallway where the stairs were located.

All three of us answered her in tandem, and I waited for her to reach the second floor before letting out the breath I’d been holding.

Quietly, the brothers started to put the sofa back together and I cleaned up the spilled popcorn; Scott returning to the kitchen to dispose of the snack and fetch some fresh snacks.

‘Well, that was intense...’ I suddenly let slip, alluding to Lisa’s intervention, when I couldn’t stand the silence anymore.

‘You have _no_ idea...’ Chris answered, looking up from where he was arranging a couple of the throw pillows. ‘She used to be able to scare the shit out of us with just a look... Thank god that those days are over.’

I chuckled. He was clearly deluding himself.

‘ _Sure_ _they_ _are_.’ I murmured to myself.

By the time Scott returned from the kitchen, Chris and I were just sitting down on the sofa, Dodger having taken up the sofa space on Chris’ right side, while I sat on his left.

Scott installed himself back into the corner and hit ‘play’ on the remote, starting the movie. He flung his arm over my shoulders, pulling me against his side in a comfortable reclining position.

It didn’t take long for me to be sucked into the story, and before I knew it, I was sitting with my back against Scott, while my feet were snugly warm under Chris’ leg as I watched the adventures of Steve and Bucky on the screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, leave me some left-over Christmas nibbles. The muse thrives on them. Kudos are also appreciated. ;)
> 
> Have a great New Year! 
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> MessyInsomniacBookGirl


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweet, bitter, sweet, bitter... bitter-sweet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my Sandbox, the 2019 version. :)
> 
> Happy New Year, everyone! <3
> 
> And Happy Reading! Over 4000 words to ring in the new year. Yay! :)

Chapter 8

 

It was two days later, that I unexpectedly found myself seated next to Lisa, inside a first class cabin of a Delta Airlines flight headed for the airport of Orlando, Florida; still feeling a bit unclear about how on earth I’d ended up where I was in that moment.

At Christmas, when the Captain America movie had finished, Scott and Chris had started an enthusiastic conversation about the yearly family vacation to Disney World. Something that had become a tradition after Chris had taken his whole family to a Disney Park when he got his first big paycheck as an actor, because he apparently was a huge Disney fan.

Just as Scott had pulled up information on his phone about a new ride he wanted to try out, Chris had turned to me.

‘So, you have any plans for the coming ten to twelve days?’

I had been zoning out a bit when the two brothers had taken up their gushing about all the different Disney parks they wanted to visit, and I was startled by Chris’ sudden question; stumbling over my words.

‘Ummm, w... what?’

‘The twenty-seventh until the fifth. You have any plans? Visiting family? Friends?’ He repeated patiently.

Frowning, I looked at him; puzzled by his sudden interest.

‘Um... No... Not really... I have some things to prepare for school...’

‘Could you do that tomorrow?’ Chris’ expression had turned more hopeful as I denied having any concrete plans for the coming weeks. ‘Or, maybe on the sixth?’

‘I... I guess?...’ Surprise and confusion had coloured my tone.

‘Great! That’s settled, then. You’re coming with us on holiday.’ Scott had interjected Chris when his brother had opened his mouth to speak.

 _Say_ _what_ _now?!_

‘Uh... I’m what?... When?’ Nothing could have hidden the perplexity that filled me.

Chris had scowled mightily at Scott for interrupting our conversation. Then he’d turned his attention back to me, a delighted smile appearing on his face.

‘On the twenty-seventh, we all leave for our annual family holiday. I was wondering if you wanted to come with... We’re going to Disney World in Orlando. It’s a blast.’

‘Oh... I don’t know...’ My hesitation had come from knowing that it was their family holiday, I really didn’t want to intrude on something that had been exclusively for their close-knit group for so long; and from my suspicion of _who_ was shouldering the costs for the holiday. It made me uncomfortable to just go ahead with what I felt would be taking advantage of the situation. That was something I, in all good conscience, just couldn’t do. ‘It’s your family holiday. I can’t butt into that... It wouldn’t be right... I’m sorry, but...’

My protest had been almost immediately shot down by Scott, who had hugged me from the side.

‘Ells, you’re such a darling, thinking that my big brother would just ask anyone to come with us on a whim... I can tell you, there have been _girlfriends_ who didn’t even make the cut...’ He had tapped his chin in thought. ‘Come to think of it... Chris has _never_ asked anyone with, for as long as we’ve been going on these holidays. You have to understand, that to him, these times with our family are sacred. Especially when you take into account his high profile life in the spotlight. So, believe me when I say that the invitation that he just extended to you isn’t a decision he has taken lightly.’

Uncertainty had snuck into my tone when I had glanced at Chris.

‘If you’re sure...’

Chris had met my gaze with a determined expression; his startlingly blue eyes solemn, but friendly.

‘Very.’

‘Alright then.’

And that’s how I had been drafted into partaking in a family holiday I had no knowledge of until thirty-six hours before I set foot on the plane that would take us to our destination. The day after Christmas had been a whirlwind of preparing lesson plans and unearthing my summer clothes from the back of my wardrobe, but I’d managed to be packed and ready by the time morning came around.

A very large van had pulled up to the house at about ten a.m., the driver packing all our luggage into the back while we were instructed to take our seats. When I climbed into the van, I was met with laughter and welcomes from Carly, Shanna, and their significant others, Pete and Marcus. Carly’s little ones had been strapped into car seats in the very back of the van and had waved at me enthusiastically.

The drive to the airport had been swift and uneventful, and, apparently, being associated with a celebrity opened many doors, because we were speedily ushered through check-in and security by an appointed airline employee.

When it had been my turn to check in, everything was in order. Just as Chris had promised at Christmas. I’d been worried about it being too late to acquire a seat on the plane, and about sending my personal information through to the airline, but Chris had assured me that he’d take care of everything. And he had. It turned out that he’d bought all twelve seats in first class, just to have a quiet flight with his family and not having to worry about being accosted by any fans. So, as there were only nine Evanses, there had been more than enough seats left for me to accompany them.

Scott had told me before, that Chris had rented out a large cabin at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Big enough to house sixteen people; reassuring me that there would be a bed for me there, too.

‘And even if there hadn’t been enough beds, I’m sure there is _someone_ who wouldn’t have been averse to sharing with you.’ He’d said with a suggestive wink. I’d turned red to the roots of my hair and had slapped him on the bicep for his salacious remark, hurting myself more than him, unfortunately. Thankfully, the person whom I suspected he’d been hinting at, had been in the kitchen to fetch a couple of beers at the time, and was blissfully unaware of his brother’s attempt to get a rise out of me.

Pulling myself out of my memories of the past few days, I held my breath when the aiplane rolled up to its correct place on the runway; its engines starting to roar as they geared up for the pending take-off. A shiver of trepidation traveled down my spine. I really detested take-off. As soon as we were at altitude I would be fine, and the landing didn’t really faze me too much, but take-off... Another shiver traveled through me as the plane started to move. I squeezed my eyes shut.

A hand was laid over mine where it was clenching the arm rest of my seat. I opened one eye and looked to the side, at Lisa, who was gazing at me with sympathy written all over her face.

‘Oh, honey, are you okay?’

I swallowed and nodded hesitatingly.

‘Y... yeah. I will be, once we’re in the air. I just... don’t like take-o...’

I immediately fell quiet, and my breathing became irregular when we were suddenly pushed back into our chairs as the plane’s engines boosted us forward at a rapidly increasing speed. My heart rate went through the roof. If it beat any faster, it would burst, I was sure of it.

‘ _Fffffffffffff_... _uck.._.’ I hissed between breaths. A soft cry escaped me when the airplane’s engines gave even more thrust, and the pressure on my body increased just before the plane’s wheels left the ground and the plane wobbled dangerously for a few seconds from the gusts of wind caused by the icy winter-storm that had picked up in force as we had waited for boarding.

My hand was squeezed reassuringly while Lisa talked to me.

‘Everything’s going to be fine, Ellie. Just try and breathe slowly. You’re going to be okay. We’re already quite high up, and it won’t be much longer before we’re above the clouds. Then, most of the turbulence will be over.’

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it wasn’t the turbulence that had set me off.

A couple of minutes later, as if from far away, I heard the ‘ _pong_ ’ as the fasten seatbelt sign was turned off, and the suffocating pressure let off when the plane straightened out, starting its graceful glide through a calmer air layer.

Breathing unevenly, I slowly opened my eyes and forced my hands to relax their death grips on the arm rests. My heart beat a mile a minute, and my vision was limited to what was in front of me, as if I was looking through a tunnel.

Miles and Judy, Carly’s children, had jumped from their seats as soon as they had been allowed to do so, and they were impatiently waiting for me to let them through to their grandmother, so that they could look out the window together, and show her all the beautiful clouds. Sliding my knees to the side, I let them through.

Taking advantage of Lisa being distracted by her grandchildren, I unfastened my seatbelt and quickly excused myself, making a beeline for the lavatory. I felt dizzy and disoriented, and I desperately needed a little while alone to reassert my self-control.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it as far as the toilet before I ran into someone. Which was bound to happen, of course, seeing that the first class cabin was terribly small, and held only twelve seats.

My path was blocked by a flight attendant, who was taking a drink order from Chris. Trying to get my breathing under control, I prepared to wait for the woman to be finished with talking to him, and move on, so I could pass; which would hopefully be soon.

Of course I wasn’t that lucky, because the flight attendant looked up when I came closer.

‘Everything okay, miss?’ The woman asked me with concern lacing her tone.

This made Chris sit up straighter and turn at an angle so he could see me, his eyes narrowing when he took in my expression and body language.

‘Yeah...’ I croaked. Quickly, I cleared my throat and tried to swallow away the dryness in my mouth. ‘I just have to...’ Gesturing to the general location of the lavatory, I took a step forward. I had to get to that toilet stall. Ride out the terror in solitude.

‘Oh, of course.’ The flight attendant stepped back into the space between seats to let me through.

I had almost reached the narrow door when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

‘Ellie, wait.’ Chris’ voice was quiet and deep. Soothing.

Halting my movements, I half turned around to look up at him. It didn’t escape my notice that he was shielding me from everyone’s view with his body. If this was deliberate, or accidental, I didn’t know, but I was grateful. I didn’t need all the people in our party crowding me. Especially when I was experiencing a minor panic attack.

Feeling the g-forces of take-off push my body back into my seat had thrown me back to a moment in my life I’d rather never think about again, but which had been pulled to the surface of my mind for the second time in a couple of days.

That, combined with the stress of the altercation with Megan, had been the perfect cocktail of stressors for me to have a relapse into the paralysing anxiety I had suffered from during the first year after the car crash that had taken my unborn daughter’s life.

The compassion and understanding I saw in Chris’ gaze when our eyes met, gave me pause.

‘What do you need?’ Was all he asked.

‘I can’t... be here.’ I gasped, and made a dive for the toilet door.

‘Oh. No... nononono. Don’t isolate yourself... Please. It won’t help.’ The surity and gentleness in his voice made me hesitate. He took my hand and laced our fingers together. The warmth of his touch seeped into the cold, clammy skin of my tingling fingers. ‘It won’t help.’ He repeated, quieter this time.

I let out a shuddering breath and fought the instinct to pull away from him and disappear into the lavatory.

Chris leaned forward slightly, so he could catch my gaze with his.

‘Do you have medication you can take?’

Shaking my head, I tried to concentrate on the way his blue eyes were focused on mine; Holding on to his hand like it was my life-line.

‘Used... to. But, not... any...more.’

‘Okay. I need you to listen carefully, alright?’

I nodded.

‘I have been where you are now. I know what to do. Will you allow me to help you?’ He asked.

I had trouble focusing, but kept it together long enough to nod again, desperate to stop the terrible fear that kept me in its crushing grip.

‘Okay. We’re gonna move past the toilet and behind the curtain, and then I’ll ask the flight attendant for a few minutes of privacy.’ As he spoke, Chris started to move me backwards until I felt the cloth of a curtain behind me. I cringed, but Chris just held it aside. ‘You’re doing great.’ He said, his tone soft and reassuring while he maneuverd me to his left and into the hallway where the emergency exit and the plane’s small galley kitchenette were located. I heard him say something to the flight attendant who had apparently followed us, but it was quiet enough that I didn’t understand what was discussed.

Then he turned back to me.

‘there’s a seat behind you if you need to sit down.’

I shook my head. If I sat down, I was going to suffocate.

Chris put my hand on his chest and covered it with his.

‘That’s okay. Now, we’re going to try and breathe together.’

I stared at where my hand was dwarfed by his against his chest. This was surreal. My vision tunneled even more, concentrating on the thin scar on my left ring finger, where my wedding ring had torn into the skin during the crash. They’d had to cut the metal off me, it had been so mangled...

‘Ellie, sweetheart, I need you to look at me.’

With difficulty, I raised my eyes to meet his.

‘Now, focus on my breathing, and try to breathe with me, okay?’

I did my best to follow his breathing pattern. Deep, slow breaths in, hold them for a second, and then breathing out again, slowly.

‘You’re doing so well, sweetheart.’ His deep, soothing voice and the calming movement of his breathing became the sole focus of my world, and slowly, but surely, my breathing evened out, and my heart rate went down to where I didn’t constantly fear that it would explode from my body. ‘Stay with me. I’m here with you... You’re going to be okay.’ Chris reached behind him and grabbed a glass filled with a transparent liquid. ‘Ellie, I have some ice water for you. I want you to drink it very slowly, with small sips, and I want you to imagine that, while you drink the water, your body and mind are cooling down. That you’re calming down with each cold sip you take. Can you do that?’

‘Yes.’ I rasped. Taking the glass from him with shaking hands, I brought it to my lips and took a sip, imagining what he had suggested. To my surprise it helped, and I continued to sip the ice water until it was all gone. ‘Thanks.’ I said with a trembling voice when I handed him the empty glass. Heaving a deep sigh, I sent him a wobbly smile.

Chris nodded solemnly, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

‘How are you feeling? Do you need to walk around for a bit?’

I shook my head in answer to his second question while I answered the first.

‘I’m tired.’

‘Okay. Do you want to go back to your seat?’ Chris’ thumb rubbed soothing circles over the top of my hand. It was quite distracting.

I cleared my throat and shook my head.

‘No, not yet.’

‘Can I get you anything, then?’

‘Could you... Um...’ I desperately needed physical contact. Not anything untoward, but I needed to connect to someone, to ground myself.

‘What do you need?’ His non-judgmental and selfless approach toward me during and after my panic attack had convinced me that he really knew what it was like. And that it really was okay to ask for what I needed from him.

‘Could you just hold me for a moment?’

When his thumb stilled on my hand and his hand let go of mine, I was momentarily convinced that I’d asked for too much, but then he opened his arms to me and waited for me to step forward.

‘Of course.’ Was all he said as a warm smile lit up his face.

Relief flooded me when I stepped into his space, and he folded his arms loosely around me, conscious of how I could react to a restraining hug after my panic. I sagged against his warm strength and wrapped my arms around his narrow waist.

‘Thank you.’ I sighed, feeling how the strained muscles in my back started to relax as he gently rubbed a hand up and down my spine.

‘Anytime, sweetheart.’ He murmured against the crown of my head. The rumble of his voice vibrated against my cheek where it was pressed against his chest.

After a minute or so, I started to feel embarrassed.

‘I’m sorry.’ I mumbled, and felt my cheeks flush. The panic had been replaced by mortification. As carefully as possible, I tried to untangle myself from the hug, following the urge to retreat to a safe distance from the man whose caring embrace suddenly felt much too good, and whose lovely scent of spicy sandalwood, and something... more deliciously musky, more him, seemed to completely envelop me; leaving me dazed and confused, and with a growing desire to burrow deeper into his embrace. Which, in turn, left me not a small amount of mortified about my body’s reaction. The man was only trying to comfort me, for fucks sake. It threw me for a loop that I had gone from recovering from a panic attack to... whatever this was, within what seemed like the blink of an eye.

There was only a minor hesitation on his part, and a tightening of muscles, before he relaxed his arms and released me from his embrace. Was I imagining things, or did he look slightly disappointed? Blaming it on wishful thinking on my part, I shook the thought off.

‘There’s nothing to be sorry for. You know that, right?’ Chris tried to reassure me.

‘Yeah... Thanks.’ I said quietly, and I took a step back, looking away. I felt hesitant to look him in the eye after the stress-filled and -to me- intense interaction we’d had.

‘What’s wrong?’ Ducking his head, Chris tried to catch my eye, but failed, as I kept my gaze darting to and fro without landing on anything specific, shaking my head, and hoping that he’d let it go. The man was way too observant and headstrong, though. ‘Hey, don’t do that.’ He said, never raising his voice, or sounding anything other than caring. ‘Talk to me, sweetheart.’

‘It’s embarrassing...’ I started, but he interrupted me when he cupped my unharmed cheek with his warm hand.

‘It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Sometimes the stress of things just get to you so much, that it causes your body to short-circuit and...’ This time I interrupted him.

‘It’s not that... I know all that...’ I cleared my throat in mortification, feeling my cheeks heating up again. _Fuck_...

‘Then what is it?’ He frowned lightly in puzzlement, and leaned forward to look into my eyes searchingly. Finally looking up at him, I lost myself in those warm, startlingly blue eyes.

That was the moment that cautious Ellie took the backseat, and reckless Ellie took over. It was as if I was being possessed by someone who I hadn’t seen in years. A more carefree, adventurous me, whom I’d thought died in that car wreck.

I licked my lips subconsciously and his eyes darted down, drawn in by the movement.

‘It’s... um... _this_.’ I said, and pushed up onto my toes, softly pressing my lips to his.

A surprised sound escaped his throat and he hesitated. It was only a second, but I pulled back, feeling a sudden shame for imposing a kiss on someone who had only been trying to help me.

‘I’m s...’ I started to apologise, but I didn’t come very far before his lips were back on mine, his hand still cradling my cheek gently. It was a short, sweet kiss. Followed by a few light pecks.

‘You apologise too much.’ Chris murmured as he looked down at me with a small smile.

‘Sorr...’ He caught my lips again, with another quick kiss.

‘Stop it.’ A chuckle escaped him when he saw me wrinkle my nose a him.

‘Sor... Urgh... I really should stop that, shouldn’t I?’ I sighed and shook my head in defeat before leaning my forehead against his chest. Then I collected myself and looked up. ‘So... That happened... again...’ I grimaced when I thought about Christmas Eve. ‘...Without Bodybuilder Barbie ruining the day, thankfully.’

‘Yes, it did.’ Chris sent me a crooked smile. Sheesh, did the guy know how hot he looked when he did that?!

He seemed to come to a decision while I looked at him, because he turned serious.

‘But, I don’t think it is a good idea to take this any further. You’re fresh out of a panic attack and you’re not thinking straight.’

I felt my stomach drop when he said that, disappointment filling me, and I bit my lip to keep from bursting into tears. Shit, he really was right about my emotions being all over the place. A quiet ‘Oh... um... Alright...’ Was all I could express while I fought to keep my composure. Apparently, I had been too forward in thinking that he felt the same as I did. _So stupid..._

He must have read my struggle on my face, because understanding dawned on his face, followed by alarm, and he was quick to explain and tried to set my mind at ease.

‘Oh, no, I didn’t mean not take it further, period. I just meant that I’m not going to take advantage of the situation. God, that would be such an asshole move. No, I meant that for the duration of the flight, we shelve this, until you’ve had the time to rest a bit, and settle your stress-levels to normal parameters. God knows that I, myself, have made shit decisions while coming down from a panic attack, and I just want to be sure that we’re on the same level, you know, before seeing where this...’ he pointed at himself, and then me. ‘... could go.’

‘Ah... yeah, okay.’ Pushing down the negative feelings I had been experiencing, I nodded. I really needed to get myself together, he certainly was right about that. My emotional compass was completely out of whack. Suddenly, exhaustion washed over me, and I swayed where I stood.

‘Whoah.’ Chris exclaimed, his hand going to my shoulders to steady me. ‘Let’s get you to a seat, alright?’ He turned me towards the curtain that hid us from curious eyes. ‘I think you need some shut-eye; catch a few z’s.’

‘Yeah, might be a good idea.’ I agreed, and I let him steer me into the cabin.

I turned left immediately, picking the seat next to the window at the front, artfully avoiding the curious looks the rest of the Evanses were throwing our way. Thankfully, everyone stayed quiet about our absense.

After I sat down, Chris handed me the small pillow and thin blanket he’d acquired from the flight attendant, and helped me put my seat back far enough so I could relax more easily. When I was settled comfortably, he leaned over me, and whispered a, ‘Sweet dreams, sweetheart.’ before kissing me lightly on the forehead; lingering a bit longer than necessary. I didn’t mind in the least.

‘Thanks, Cap.’ I murmured. My eyes were closed, and I was already halfway on my way to dreamland. The deep echo of his quiet chuckle followed me there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The muse thrives on nomnoms in the form of feedback and/or kudos. So, if you feel so inclined, don’t hesitate to leave a few nibbles.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Cheers!


End file.
